Wednesday, June 25, 2014

As the Sun Slips Away

Welcome to "The Gods Are Bored," unable to keep a straight face since 2005! I'm Anne Johnson, and if I had to teach three more days of school, I think I would die. Luckily I'm down to two.

Summer Solstice is always a bittersweet time for me, because it marks the day when the hours of daylight reach their peak. From here the daylight diminishes until December. By that time, the life-giving star sets at 4:45. Right now we have gentle twilight until 8:45. So that's a four-hour difference (well, three if you figure in Eastern Standard Time).

I'm fond of saying that we don't appreciate summer without the chills of winter. The same must hold true of the hours in a day. On those foggy winter afternoons when the darkness descends extra-early, it's good to know that a time will come when an 8:00 dinner is held in the daylight. Likewise, on this long, long day I have the intention to review all the things I love about winter ... most especially the candlelight, the fireplace, the crazy Christmas houses, the possibility of a snow day.

Oh, snow days, snow days! How long this month of June has seemed, because the Vo Tech had to make up five snow days! It's been a perfect eternity since Memorial Day. And yet the time has passed. The Wheel has turned. And on that Wheel are the seasons of snow days and beach days, of festival days and work days, of light and darkness and in-between, when the sea glass collecting is good.

So here's to summertime! Calloo, callay! So what if the days start getting shorter? What goes around comes around. This is the work of the bored gods, and we should be glad in it.

6 comments:

Debra She Who Seeks said...

I've been so busy and topsy-turvey that the Summer Solstice snuck up on me this year and caught me unawares. The last time I noticed, it was March.

yellowdoggranny said...

it can rain, snow, blow, I don't care.as long as the sun shines.

Mary said...

I'm still waiting to curse the heat and dust here. June is mostly light, except when the clouds roll in and screw my entire life up. :) I'm not going to be sad until about September, then I'll love the colors and the cooler air. About November I'll be all about getting through the dark winter one more time! And so it is....

Davoh said...

Anne, i really hope that you teach your students that we live on a rather peculiar planet.

from where i live - we are 'giving Old Sol' back to you.

Any "northern Hemisphere" faiths and 'religions' are sort of 'topsy turvey' 'down here'.

Davoh said...

and yes, expecting snow, here, in the next few days. Mid winter.

Kimber said...

It's still sunny and bright here in Alaska- I'm not sure I miss the darkness yet, but come September when it starts creeping in I might be ready to welcome it.