The Solstice and the Equinox

Another solstice has come and gone. That precisely stated point in time that marks the beginning of summer slipped past us a few weeks ago… try as I may I could not intervene. Some say the long days are now upon us. In actuality it is the sweltering days that are upon us; the longest day has come and gone. As everyone knows, from the solstice forward, the amount of time we spend in daylight decreases with each passing day. We are on a downhill run, speeding toward September and the equinox that awaits us there… a place (and time) where night catches up and then overtakes day.

It is those days that I look forward to… I am not a huge fan of summertime. My fair skin will back me up on that. The sun burns me as if I were a slice of white bread stuck in a timer-less toaster. It is a time when my best friend becomes a bottle of SPF 50+ sunscreen.

If I were asked to rank the seasons I would pick autumn as my favorite; followed closely by winter. This places me in a minority of sorts, if one were to group folks using such a quantifier. Most prefer warm days and abundant sunshine. I choose crisp autumn evenings and warm wool sweaters. I feel best under an autumn sky, dark and clear, one abundant with stars that sparkle like diamonds spilt out over black velvet.