"For the laughter of children who tumble barefooted and bareheaded in the summer grass." ~ Carl Sandburg
Ah, summer. The sun's on my face, I'm walking barefooted in the grass, and feeling mighty fine. How are you doing on this fine summer day?
In the Northern Hemisphere, today's summer solstice celebrates the longest day (and shortest night) of the year. At 9:24 a.m. EDT, the sun reaches its highest point north of the equator, marking the solstice, which literally means, "stopped sun" ('sol' = sun; and 'sistere' = cause to stand still).
SUMMER DAWN...
"I have embraced the summer dawn." ~ Arthur Rimbaud
With courage that burned as bright as the sun, track star Wilma Rudolph overcame great odds and had the courage to keep reaching for her dreams."When the sun is shining I can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble too difficult to overcome," she said.
TWO MOST BEAUTIFUL WORDS...
"Summer afternoon... the two most beautiful words in the English language." ~ Henry James
Today, the North Pole tilts slightly more than 23 degrees toward the sun. If you live north of the Arctic Circle, you will have 24 hours of daylight, so celebrate the Midnight Sun!
It's the opposite in Antarctica. The sun won't come up today. But those in the far Southern Hemisphere take heart. The sun will march south and in six months, there'll be another solstice and the seasons will reverse.
MIDSUMMER NIGHT DREAMS...
"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind." ~ William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream
June 24 is Midsummer Day, traditionally the midpoint of the growing season. The eve before is a night of joyous celebration. In ancient times, women would bathe in the river and gather magic from the water to bring life-giving rain.
"Summer's lease hath all too short a date." ~ William Shakespeare
"And what is so rare as a day in June?; Then, if ever, come perfect days."
~James Russell Lowell, The Vision of Sir Launfal
Ah, summer
What am I doing at this computer? The perfect month of June, with her sun and fun invitation, is a-calling.
Time to pour myself a cold beverage and soak up the sun and the lure of fragrant flowers
