Yesterday marked the start of Summer. I normally don’t miss such a monumental event. I knew the Summer Solstice was yesterday. But I forgot to write about it. You see… it is by far… my very favorite of the seasonal phases.
A solstice happens twice each year…when the sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky at noon, marked by the longest and shortest days.
And an equinox also happens two times a year… the time or date at which the sun crosses the celestial equator. This means the day and night are of equal length (mostly).
I like the Summer Solstice the very, very most … because it means it will probably by hot. And I love to be warm. I also like the memories it awakens in my mind.
The Summer has a way of thrusting me back in time, hurtling my senses through past years…. and back to the sweet memories of youth.
Things like eating watermelon in the back yard, handed to us on cheap paper plates. And then the seed-spitting contests which ensued. It reminds me of playing “Pickle” in the middle of Bruce Avenue, until the street lights came on.
Things like swimming at the local pool, and having frozen candy bars for treats at the Concession Stand… when we had to sit out for those grueling 15 minutes of every hour… during the “Adult Swim.”
Summer reminds me of hots dogs roasted on our rickety-old backyard grill, with the old-school charcoal briquets. Hot dogs with both ketchup and mustard, served on a Wonder Bun. Always… smelling a bit like lighter fluid.
Laying in the cool grass, and watching the sky as elephants, and cotton candy, and fluffy bunnies rolled by in the clouds.
Oh, the times, they were.
Tonight, we sat out with our Orpington Chickens…. as good Farm Girls do. We simply spent time with those chickens…and watched. They sat on Mary’s lap, and I talked good Chicken-Speak with them. Tommy ran after me as I was walking out… like he was sad to see me go. We notice Chuck has feathers on his legs… like hairy legs. Funny Chuck.
And as they scratched about… and did their little versions of The Moon Walk… I sang the melody of The Chicken Dance.
And somehow… all of this propelled me back to my early youth… and finding little joys in the warmth of summer. Sleuthing for four-leaf-clovers, slurping popsicles on the front porch steps, sitting very still and listening to the sound of dusk. The beauties of summer. How I wish they were with me the whole year through.