Summer Solstice

Today, Tuesday, June 21st, is the Summer Solstice.

Just what, precisely, does that mean?

In a few words: it is the longest day of the year in terms of daylight.

From this day forward, the amount of light per day will diminish towards Fall and then Winter.

I love every season with the very specific exception of Summer.

Summer, to me, means agonizing heat, some humidity, clogged roadways (in my case, up I-80), melanoma, carcinoma, my cancerous past, screaming kids, bawling infants, skyrocketing gas prices, rude vacationers, and long days to cover my fellow supervisors and deputies who customarily take the bulk of their time-off in this period.

Which is why, when I vacation, I do so in late October, December, January and February. When the fewest number of persons are on the roads or in hotels or in my way. And -- oddly enough -- hotel/motel rates are at their lowest. Imagine that.

I enjoy the rain, the fog, the snow, the cold, the sleet, the massive waves at the ocean, the horizontal snowstorms in the Sierras, the lack of people to mar my view of nature.

Predominantly, I hate people. If you vacation in Summer I likely hate you. I avoid you like the plague. You can deal with your fellow mindless locusts buzzing about with your ilk and kids. You can clean up your kids' vomit and snot. Leave the booth at the restaurant as though a war was fought there -- that's how inconsiderate you are. Bring your squalling horde of infants to the movie, dining place, outdoor venue I'd like to otherwise enjoy with my wife.

You can keep Summer. I stay at home and I work in the shade.

Which is why I can't wait for the Summer Solstice to subsume and grow smaller. Which means: people will be, by-and-by, going away.

This always makes me smile. It's all downhill from here.

BZ

P.S.

Year	Northern Hemisphere	Southern Hemisphere
2000	June 21, 01:48	December 21, 13:37
2001	June 21, 07:38	December 21, 19:21
2002	June 21, 13:24	December 22, 01:14
2003	June 21, 19:10	December 22, 07:04
2004	June 21, 00:57	December 21, 12:42
2005	June 21, 06:46	December 21, 18:35
2006	June 21, 12:26	December 22, 00:22
2007	June 21, 18:06	December 22, 06:08
2008	June 20, 23:59	December 21, 12:04
2009	June 21, 05:46	December 21, 17:47
2010	June 21, 11:28	December 21, 23:38
2011	June 21, 17:16	December 22, 05:30
2012	June 20, 23:09	December 21, 11:12
2013	June 21, 05:04	December 21, 17:11
2014	June 21, 10:51	December 21, 23:03
2015	June 21, 16:38	December 22, 04:48
2016	June 20, 22:34	December 21, 10:44
2017	June 21, 04:24	December 21, 16:28
2018	June 21, 10:07	December 21, 22:23
2019	June 21, 15:54	December 22, 04:19
2020	June 20, 21:44	December 21, 10:02