Summer Solstice?

Seriously, Mother Nature? This is the best you can do?

Today is Summer Solstice; the longest day (in regards to daylight hours) in the year. Here at our house, it dawned (more or less) overcast and once again raining. I’m beginning to feel like I’m in a rainy version of “Groundhog Day”.

Trying to keep a positive attitude (well, for the most part – and I did say “trying”), I’ve attempted to take photos for my blog on as many bright, blue-sky sunny days as possible.

I’ve tried to focus on the bright side in my blogs this spring and summer. I honestly have tried to downplay the dark, wet, gloomy days.

This is becoming more and more difficult. I have only so many photos of sunshine, primarily because I can count actual sunny summer days here in south-central Alaska this year using not much more than one hand. ☔️

It’s hard to leave the gloomy days out entirely or I wouldn’t have much of a blog. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Then again, even a rainy day can have it’s beautiful moments.

🎶🎵Rain drops on roses … 🎵🎶

So, hey … Happy Summer Solstice, everyone. I’ll continue to seek out the silver linings on those big, gloomy clouds – even as I begin the dreaded countdown towards winter.

A Dog Day Afternoon

I know, I know … I just said summer had finally arrived in my little corner of the world (Alaska). And it did. Yesterday. On a weekend, no less! I never promised the sun would stick around.

Still, yesterday was glorious. Jerry and I – and of course the dachshunds, took a Sunday afternoon drive out towards Talkeetna, just for the joy of being outside on a sunny day.

The dachshunds, Rhonda in particular, were beside themselves, playing and rolling in the green grass (well, mostly grass) at every roadside stop, with the warm sun toasting their sparsely-furred bellies. It was over 70° outside!

Rhonda, totally blissed out over … bird poop.

Once Ronni finished her ecstatic, extended roll in what I decided after the fact included a bit of fresh bird-droppings (which I didn’t notice among all the tiny, white ornamental cherry blossom debris scattered on the ground where we’d stood), she proceeded to find an even warmer spot on the edge of the gravel.

Suddenly, without warning, Ronni’s wiggle-machine broke – leaving her sprawled belly up and immobilized.

No amount of encouragement or leash wiggling would budge her – I finally had to reach down, pick her up and set her on her feet … at which point, obviously still broken, she flopped right back down. Twice!

Seriously, I kid you not.

Before anyone panics; Rhonda was absolutely FINE, eventually giving up her sun-bathing to take off into deeper grass in search of butterflies and bugs.

But that was yesterday. I think today still qualifies as summer, since it was once again 70°F this afternoon. However, the sky, which was so startlingly blue this morning, has now taken on a pearlescent tinge, not quite gray, that the sun can no longer penetrate.

The breeze has stilled for now and the gnats have come out. If the clouds I see across the valley, piling up and slowly spilling over the Talkeetna range, bestir themselves to roll this direction, I’m guessing we might have a summer rain squall before bedtime.

Rhonda’s moral from today’s story:

A Summer Day in Alaska

Not a year passes, not a single one 

without a hint of summer; 

at least some days of sun.

Each June is different, each is unique 

Some are bold with drenching sunshine

Others cloud-strewn and bleak.

I would ask for a little of both all month

if I could have my say 

But I won’t be greedy – I’ll just ask

For sunshine on Father’s Day. ☀️

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to every DAD in my life, both past and present!

Words Are (Almost) Unnecessary

Finally … summer. Sigh. My heart is happy.

Wild Alaskan roses are bursting out everywhere.

So is nearly everything else!

The verdant greens of the part of our property up near the far curve of our driveway, always affectionately referred to as Fern Gully, is in its full glory.

Ronni and I took a walk to Fern Gully this morning.

There are many equally photogenic spots on our 15 acres of mostly untouched woods and ravines, but at my age, they have become a lot more difficult to access.

I am sure, if I had grand or great grand kids living nearby, our woods would be a source of many awesome adventures.

In wandering back into our woods once, many years ago, we found the active nest of a pair of Northern Goshawks – and had to beat a hasty retreat!

We’d known there were goshawks on the property, seeing them overhead regularly from spring until fall. Finding the nest was exciting, but purely unintentional on our part. We politely stayed away from that area afterwards.

The goshawks maintained a nest in our woods for nine years, vigilantly protecting “their” territory. In doing so, they also provided protection for our tiny Pygmy goat kids and itsy-bitsy “Pocket” dog, since any bald Eagle foolish enough to cross airspace above Vine Road promptly found themselves harrassed into seeking calmer hunting grounds. I still miss those impressive but elusive birds.

I should not have any complaints about summer … none at all.

But honestly, one of the reasons our landscape is so magnificently green and bursting with blooms right now – is because of all the danged RAIN we’ve been blessed with across the Mat-Su Valley since spring finally (dragging it’s muddy feet every step of the way) made its presence known last month.

Again though, not complaining! The greenery is breathtaking and a balm to my soul – and wouldn’t be as green without abundant rainfall. I’ll take summer in whatever guise it chooses to present. Even though, so far, it’s been mostly cloudy, damp and windy.

And whatever SUNNY days Mother Nature decides to serve up will be gloried in with the utmost gratitude. I believe there have been three so far, but hey! A couple of them have landed on weekends!

Rhonda, soaking up sunshine like a rock lizard atop a boulder on our property. 🦎