Monday 21 June 2010

The Longest Day


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Today is the Summer Solstice or commonly known as the longest day. It's another beautiful day of sunshine here so total darkness will fall overnight.

Due to a bout of insomnia last night, I was up and around at 2.45am. The sky was a lightish royal blue and conveyed much more light than a full moon. It would have been perfectly safe to walk in unlight places. By 3.30am I could have quite comfortably read a book outside if I'd had the inclination, which I hasten to say I did not.

As one dear friend said to me on the telephone earlier, "Do you know it's the longest day? It's all downhill from now you know." She's not particularly a pessimist but a keen and skillful gardener.

13 comments:

Jim Baxter said...

Oh, let it end. Bring back the night and the cold wind. Some people think that 'seasonal affective disorder' is diagnosed when people get depressed in the winter. But it works both ways. Some people hate light and warmth and get depressed in the summer.

Mrs Rigby said...

Hah! Snap @ SR!

Love the longest day, love the light and warmth. But Jim's right, some of the family much prefer the dark and cold of winter. Sort of evens things out a bit, means we aren't all miserable at the same time.

Macheath said...

Just back from watching an open-air 'Midsummer Night's Dream' - there's something the longest day is good for.

And three cheers for a school drama teacher with imagination!

subrosa said...

Very true Jim. I think I'd prefer two longest days and two shortest in a year. Then I wouldn't have time to think much about the impact of either. I'd be able to have two sets of social life too. :)

subrosa said...

Hi Mrs R. Things don't even out here. I'm an optimist and the rest said today 'snow will soon be on the way before you know it, mark my words'.

It doesn't balance out here, it's kind of a desire for winter really - and nobody even skis!

subrosa said...

I remember seeing that with my Dad at an open air event in Shropshire back in around 1981 Macheath. The weather was as it is tonight, but I was bored stiff. I kept my mouth shut because my Dad just adored Shakespeare and my mother always mocked him. I arranged tickets when he came to visit me for a few days.

gildas said...

Oh, I am with Jim on this one! Bring on Autumn, cold air and dark nights! A late run of salmon on the Tweed, a hard day's fishing in the cold, cold, clear water, and hot shower and fine malt! Not all this infernal sunshine!
Gildas the Scribbler

Jim Baxter said...

Ah, Gildas, you belong with us, the children of the night, over here:

http://theeldritchhounds.blogspot.com/

The famous Subrosa was kind enough, big-hearted enough, to agree to be our first follower after we begged her nicely.

gildas said...

Ha ha, Jim. I shall join you asap. Seriously though, whilst I enjoy a nice summer's evening, as tonight, I do not enjoy bright sunshine - and I find it hard to work and sleep. Something in my Celtic DNA (maybe) seems to not like it. I get so annoyed when the weather forecasters deem it great when it's 80 degrees! I hate it!
No wonder I live in a cell
Gildas the Monk

William said...

Tomorrow I'll be saying, "Aye,the nights are fair drawing in"...

Jim Baxter said...

Gildas, ah yes, see our post of 23rd May on that very subject.

subrosa said...

Well Jim and Gildas, as my friend said ' It's all downhill from now on'. In another few week's time William's comment will be accurate.

You didn't have to do any begging Jim, I was delighted. Is that why I'm famous? Well well.

EvaW said...

I do actually get SAD in winter and have a lightbox for it. A few years ago I would usually pack it away for a few months. Have to say the past couple of years I haven't bothered!
Living in Aberdeen perhaps not the best location for me either as this might suggest http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-11812681

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