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.
Happy Summer Solstice all!
thanks Laura. We actually got home from the Tetons last Friday, then tried to go camping this past week but cold winds at Salt Creek chased us home Wednesday. Now it’s just projects and chores…..Mike is looking forward to going back to work (well, sort of).
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Welcome Home and Happy Solstice. Thank you for the beautiful pictures of your vacation and of these today and for the beautiful Tagore writing.
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Thank you for YOUR wonderful words Marsha! Summer blessings to you!
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Penney,
Love your solstice reflections and photos.
I’d spent some time yesterday looking at Ocean Spray blossoms under a looking glass..they are so exquisite right now. Your photo of them is lovely.
I can almost hear Mikes axe ringing out as he cuts winter’s wood. It’s so amazing to think how opposites hold and embrace one another. Summer holding the promise of winter and so forth.
Thank you for your wonderful words today.
Love,
Marsha
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Happy summer to you Shaun! And happy fishing as you head to your adventrue on one of my favorite NW spots!
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Thank you for beautiful photos, PJ! I love the seasons! I even got goosebumps thinking about the warm wood stove fires come fall. xo Shaun
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