June 21, 2007 Solstice

The longest day of the year. For me, someone who loves the light it is bittersweet. I know that from now until December 21 the days will get shorter. This is why the first day of summer is mid-summers night. The weather today was highly variable. Rain, thunder, bands of clouds, now sun. The evening and night promise to be cool. I spent time in the yard but did not have time for a hike. While it is beautiful there is not a lot going on. The summer rhythm has settled in. The passerines are no longer moving. If there is a time of year when there is no bird migration it is this week. Soon fledglings will begin disbursing and shorebirds will begin moving . But right now, this week across the neoarctic, everything is staying put.

Lilies are starting to bloom. They are perhaps a week later in my cooler yard and without fertilizer. The large Iris are coming into full glory. I found a beautiful purple flower I need to identify. It looks like a small lily, but I have to key it out. That will have to wait for tomorrow or Saturday.

There are no obvious stories right now. Every beautiful day is like the next and things are routine. I wonder how much I will be able to write? What new observations I will be able to put into words. How many times can one describe astounding beauty with making it mundane?