Last night was summer solstice, the longest day of the year. The tilt of the axis of Mother Earth leans most toward the sun at this part of it’s annual journey around the sun.

I went for a walk at 9:30 pm to enjoy the evening sky.

Then I drove to a more secluded spot and made a small fire. A Tuesday night is not a good night for family and friends to leave the city for a late night event like this, so there will be a larger group celebrating summer solstice this Friday.

I had brought a little red wine, I picked some wild sage and had a tiny smudge ceremony, and watched the stars before the clouds came. There was only the occasional mosquito.

It was a beautiful night to curl up under warm blankets in my tent, as it only went down to 13 degrees C.

Of course one sleeps lightly outdoors, so early morning birdsong awoke me and I packed up and drove the short distance home to my yard.

I was amazed how far north from east the sunrise was occurring at 5:00am as I headed home. At the spring or fall equinox I have often been pleasantly surprised when driving during sunrise or sunset, to find the sun perfectly lined up with an east/west road I may be driving on. A pleasure on the prairies where I live, with its lovely long straight roads, perfectly aligned directionally. This morning the sunrise was far from true east, about 60 degrees ENE.

There is something about an awareness of this planet and its phases and phenomenon, that just takes you out of yourself a little, and touches you with wonder.

Another aspect of summer solstice that I enjoy is that the days will be getting shorter and that means we are gradually sliding toward winter, that more restful season when we lower our expectations of how much work we must do because the snow covers the fields and yards, and my inner lazy child is pleased with the slower pace of life. There are very few people I can share this with, without hearing a groan of annoyance at the mention of winter.