Wednesday, June 15, 2021 (In 11 more days June’s fullest [Strawberry] moon will rise.)
The summer solstice occurs next Sunday, the 21st. That’s when the Sun will reach its highest point in the sky. It’s the day Earth’s North Pole will be tilting nearest the sun and providing the year’s most daylight hours. That’ll be our longest day of the year.
We approach the solstice having enjoyed warm weather and sunny days, mostly, because this year’s spring has been somewhat gloomy and rainy. Despite local weird weather, I’ve gone out to feed horses late as 7:30 and still enjoyed sunlight.
Late-day feedings are funny times for me. They trigger memories of feeding my horses in the previous December. In those days, going to the horses later than 4:30 p.m. required a flashlight to guide footing around them.
Annually around this time, I begin a two-way focus. Now, on present and past, about daylight and darkness. I’m enjoying and remembering.
This pleasant mindset will change after the 22nd. As the Earth’s tilt begins shifting away from the sun, my brain will be shifting toward diminishing light. It’ll be a repeat in opposite of our darkest day last December when the Earth started shifting toward more light, because our upcoming longest day will start shifting away from light.
Next week I’ll think more about upcoming darkness than the longer daylights. I’ll start enjoying summer with more caution and more in the moment, savoring each instant of extra light.
It’s the way of being while living on a ranch, in a rural or countryside area, or clear off-the-grid. Every single plan becomes associated to the great patterns of weather, light, and darkness. Fortunately, these often are predictable with technology that provides heads-up to possible winds, rains, and other solar activities.
Locally the weather heading up to next Sunday should be warm and pleasant. I’ll feed livestock while feeling optimistic and good. I’ll be comfortably among them during these extended days with faux-evenings.
We watch the risings and settings of sun and moon as they change. We’ve learned how integrally we’re connected to those processes and work to find ways of accommodating to solar activities.
Dear Friends: As we age, time flies faster, changes occur quicker, and we cherish natural light. Diana
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Diana's Morning Blog 