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Memorial Day is the traditional “start” of the summer season. Often celebrated by BBQs, picnics and trips to the beach if you live close enough to a beach. The town pool was definitely enjoying its opening weekend. When we moved to Vermont, Memorial Day didn’t have the same “start” of summer feel to it. Perhaps it was because things weren’t as warm here at the end of May. The pools don’t open, but the parks do.
This weekend, as I type this it is 41 degrees — hardly summer type weather. The forecast is calling for a high of 48 tomorrow, again not summer weather and then snow tomorrow night. Yes, you read that correctly, SNOW. The forecast for the higher elevations (where we are located) has vacillated between 2 inches, 5 inches and now it’s one inch. In any event, snow just don’t scream “summer”. For those who like skiing or snowboarding however, it might be excellent news, since Killington is still open for such activities.
I’ll keep you posted. 
Image via Wikipedia
Today is both the last day of exams for the boys and the “official” start of summer, namely the summer solstice. Summer solstice celebrates the longest hours of daylight all year and the shortest night. Summer solstice actually refers to the exact moment in time when the earth axis is tilted the most toward the sun and north of the Tropic of Cancer here in the Northern Hemisphere. That will occur at 1:16 p.m. today. Generally though, the entire day in which the solstice occurs is called the summer solstice and is celebrated the world over (in the Northern Hemisphere at least – Southern Hemisphere celebrates its longest day on our shortest day – in December).
Did you know?
- On June 21st there are 24 hours of daylight north of the Arctic Circle and 24 hours of darkness south of the Antarctic Circle.
- The world’s largest gathering for summer solstice occurs each year at Stonehenge in England.
- The Druids celebrated the summer solstice as the marriage of Heaven and Earth and it is deemed to be a lucky day, which is how the tradition of June weddings came to be
- The moon during the summer solstice is called the Honey Moon, since it is considered the best time to harvest honey. Mead was fermented from honey and served at weddings occurring during early summer.
- Summer solstice is not the hottest day of the year, nor is it the earliest sunrise.
Related articles
- The longest day – Summer Solstice 21st June 2011 (mbcalyn.wordpress.com)
- Tuesday, June 21, 2011: Happy Summer Solstice! (eaststreetweatherblog.wordpress.com)
- Google Celebrates Summer Solstice with Specially Designed Doodles by Japanese Artist (techie-buzz.com)
Everyone seemed to survive their first week back at school. “Hell week” at soccer came to a close about an hour and a half ago and there are survivors. Driving around it’s hard to sometimes remember that it isn’t fall – that for a lot of people school is still a distant memory. People are still on vacation and Labor Day (the “official” end of summer) isn’t for another week. The weather this week has felt autumn-y and with everyone being back on a school schedule, it’s just easy to forget about summer and start thinking, crisp nights, fires in the woodstove, apples and pumpkins.
Today was an absolutely beautiful day and from what I see, tomorrow is supposed to remind us that summer hasn’t left just yet. The tomatoes will be happy for some heat and maybe they will react by starting to ripen a little. Tomatoes like heat and this week just hasn’t delivered.
It spreads out before us as blank slate, leaving the possibility of so many opportunities. The summer calendar. Those days, weeks and months to which the warm rays of sun and lazy days belong. On many occasions we try to take the calendar and fill in the days and weeks with so many things that we can’t help but wish for summer’s end. We have had those summers, where the boys’ calendar was jam packed with things – I felt more like the administrative assistant than the mom. This summer they are not as jam packed and I may be living to regret that two days into summer vacation.
When they are busy, we are all on a schedule, which has its ups and its downs, admittedly but no one is staying up late and everyone is out and about for most of the day – leaving us to do work which after all is a good thing at least as far as their stomachs and the bill collectors are concerned. When they are not busy, they seem to forget that the parents still do have work and that my life (insert aghast look here) does not revolve around them entirely (really? are you sure about that Mom?). It’s basically a Catch-22 situation.
This year, our oldest is enrolled in driver’s ed at school for four weeks (every day, no absences allowed or he fails -supposedly no kidding) and our youngest is working at an autism camp for one week and then everyone is off to scout camp for a week. Then comes vacation (hip, hip, hooray) and then basically we’re back in school mode with soccer practice, cross country practice and school starting all well before the end of August.
I always like to think of all the things that we can accomplish during the summer and sadly, most of them we usually don’t get to do, or see.
This is the last week for school. Exams this week and then school’s out. Summer will be upon us. I woke up this morning and thought that I actually saw some sunshine. Now that I’m actually up and moving around though, it’s not really all that sunny out at all. In fact, it’s rather gray…it’s just not raining—yet.
- Image via Wikipedia
Soggy, in one word, that sums up the day. I remember a few years ago, before we moved here permanently, the boys and I spent a month or so up here during the summer. It was a perfect summer and not just because of the haze of memories, but rather the days for the most part were completely and totally without rain. I don’t think that the whole time we were here, we had a rainy day. We did, however, have many, many rainy nights. It seemed to shower every night; the soft patter of rain hitting the metal roof was soothing to sleep by – reminded me of camping. Every morning though the sun came out and dried everything. Perfect weather.
This summer -well it’s off to a soggy start. It’s cold and it’s damp. The seedlings on my growing rack would love to go outside and be planted, but the weather just isn’t cooperating. When it’s sunny and beautiful, I’m working – when I’m not, it’s raining. Maybe tomorrow, although the forecast is not looking good.
We did, however despite the weather have a really nice day. Tom, Tim and I went down to Manchester to Bob’s Diner for lunch (awesome milkshakes and locally grown beefalo burgers) and then headed off to Northshire. A perfect place to spend a rainy afternoon – browsing books and reading in the cafe with a nice hot cup of cappucino, next to my bestest friend. A good way to spend a very, very soggy day.
Today is a beautiful day – a sure sign that summer must be finally coming to our corner of Vermont. Another sure sign is well, this sign – the auction sign! We have a local auction lady, Linda’s Auction Service, that puts on auctions every week or every other week, depending on what’s she’s got to auction, but only during the summer months. Tonight is the first of Linda’s auctions and I’m a happy camper – you never know what you might find. It truly is a fun evening whether you stay the whole night or just pop in a for an hour or so.
Several sure signs of summer have arrived here in Wallingford…. Linda’s auction and Doreen’s Ice Cream Stand. Both are sure definite signs that winter is behind us and the summer is coming up fast. As anyone who lives here knows, summer is a relative term, measured not so much by the weather as by the calendar and certain things that only occur in the summer months. When we were in Jersey it was trips to the shore, talk of the beach, humid weather and the town pool being opened on weekends before school was out for the summer. Here, yesterday it was in the 40s and some people even had their wood stoves still burning away the chill that we call the tail end of spring.
But…it’s all good with Linda and Doreen back in town….summer’s finally here.
When I went outside this morning, it was sunny and I decided to lift the side on the greenhouse so that the bees could get in and do their work. (Yes, it has been that cool and rainy here that the plants in the greenhouse are doing much, much better than the garden and haven’t even shown any signs of it being too hot in there) When I lifted the side plastic, I saw my resident snake, curled up in my seed tray right on my plants, enjoying the warm weather. I went inside to get the camera, came out and noticed that the snake appeared to be much larger. No – the snake had morphed into 2 snakes, who were as you can see, quite comfortably lounging in my seedlings.
In addition to the snakes, we now have snow peas, hot peppers and little tomatoes. Finally, things in the garden are starting to bloom.
Well, summer appears to have made a return call here in Vermont. Today is a humid 77 degrees when only about 4 days ago it was 32 degrees at night. Glad to say that Tom is home, now only I could beat this cold and get back to normal. Lots to do here, another busy week ahead. No time to be sick and slacking.
Enjoying the last lazy days of summer. We are in the homestretch here since school starts one week from tomorrow for two of the boys and one week and a day for the other. (Who says I’m counting, though). Everyone is slowly slinking back into a routine since TJ has started soccer practice and this week is all the “last minute” back to school shopping.
I love the fall and it is starting to show its face. Everywhere you look, you can see a tree or a part of a maple tree that is starting to turn. Nature’s sharpening her Crayolas and soon the landscape will with blazing with all that fall color. This week the temps are actually supposed to sink into the 40s. Not good for the garden but let’s face it the gallons of rain we got all summer weren’t really all that good for the garden either.
The goats are settling in. Maria told me that the girls’ mother whom she affectionately refers to as Mommy has been crying and moaning about being separated from her kids. Breaks my heart when she told me, but it is not the first kidding, it is her third and we really will give them a great home, Mommy, I swear! Sky Blue pictured here being lazy is enjoying the weather yesterday. The more that I look at her she looks like a little donkey. If she weren’t already named, I think she would be Eeyore — all she needs is a pink ribbon.
HANGIN' AROUND
As I sit here a storm is brewing on the horizon. The wind has kicked up and gotten really cool which is good since it has been another hot and humid day. I love the anticipation of a good summer thunder storm. It is a nice thing. The far-off rumble of thunder and the occasional flash of lightning. The winds kick up and the sounds of the thunder get closer and longer and lower. We have an awesome porch from which to watch the storms come in. Reminds me of when I was young and we used to go to my Aunt Mary’s house and sit on her screened in porch and do the same thing. I can remember some of the sights and smells associated with that house. Some really good memories. Some really good people.
