Blue skies at 8:45 Solstice Eve!

Today, here in the Pacific Northwest, the sun rose at 5:11 a.m. and set, as it will for the remainder of the month, at 9:11 p.m. (website for sunrise sunset times). Tomorrow, Sunday June 21, the sun rises at 5:12, a few hours before the Summer Solstice occurs at 9:39 a.m. .

Most NW woods native plants are through blooming by mid-June, but Ocean Spray, in its glory, cascades it’s creamy blooms over the surrounding green.

Walking around this evening, looking at the pale blue sky above the tall fir and maple trees, the few puffy white clouds slightly tinted with sun glow, I wondered what I could photograph that represented, and celebrated, this time of light. It dawned on me any photograph taken would represent the solisitce…..it was 8:45 p.m. yet I could still take bright photos, no flash required! I share my ‘solistice pictures’, taken between 8:45 and 9:00 p.m. this evening.

Poppies often don’t bloom until early July in our garden, but this unusual sunny June they arrived in time for the solstice!

With these photos, I also share a selection from my well-worn, and beloved, copy of Gitanjali, A Collection of Indian Songs, by Rabindranth Tagore.

Tagore from the Nobel Prize web site page about him. There are several pages, including a very interesting article.

Gitanjali (song offerings) won Tagore the 1913 Novel Prize in Literature “because of his profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse, by which, with consummate skill, he has made his poetic thought, expressed in his own English words, a part of the literature of the West”.

Song #57.

Light, my light, the world-filling light, the eye-kissing light, heart-sweetening light!

Ah, the light dances, my darling, at the centre of my life; the light strikes, my darling, the chords of my love; the sky opens, the wind runs wild, laughter passes over the earth.

The butterflies spread their sails on the sea of light. Lilies and jasmines surge up on the crest of the waves of light.

The light is shattered into gold on every cloud, my darling, and it scatters gems in profusion.

Mirth spreads from leaf to leaf, my darling, and gladness without measure. The heaven’s river has drowned its banks and the flood of joy is abroad.

Clematis, a vivdly colorful vine that loves summer so much it blooms for most the season!

Hundreds of old fashion pink roses cover our garden gate arbor

Happy Summer Solstice all!

Mike spent this summer solstice eve day preparing for the winter solstice!