Our Summer Solstice

Tomorrow, Sunday 21 December, will be the Summer Solstice (in the Southern Hemisphere).I am getting in a little bit early, partly because of Christmas festivities, but more particularly because of the vagaries of Robertson sunsets (in this particular early summer season). When the sun set last night (19 December 2008) I was able to snap a shot of the sun setting behind the southern edge of the large Blackwood Wattle tree below my house. With the cloudy weather we have been having recently, I figured this was a close as I am likely to get this year, to recording a "Summer Solstice" sunset - its furthest southerly reach.

The rest of this story is for Leo, my peony-growing colleague in Canada.

You see, we take little note of the Summer Solstice in Australia, for although technically it marks the furthest southerly movement of the Sun, and the longest day, we all know that it is far from the hottest time of the year. The really hot days are not expected until the end of January. Conversely, for Leo, in the northern Hemisphere, there will be a similar delay between now and the coldest period of weather, in Nova Scotia.

But Leo and I both know that our Peonies take their growth cues from the cycles of the sun, rather than the warmth or coldness of the weather. Peonies adjust their growth and flowering times according to the length of the day. So, from tomorrow, Leo will be able to convince himself that his Peonies will be on their way back to growth, and ultimately to next year's flowering period. We Peony growers read the seasons according to the way the Peonies relate to the length of the days.

Leo ended a somewhat sombre email about the recent health problems his beloved canine companion with this note:

Oooo, almost the solstice already. Heavens!

So this post is for Leo - Your Sun will start returning from tomorrow.

This picture was of a particularly early and heavy snow fall on 24 November at Leo's place in Nova Scotia - even Leo thought this was too much snow, too early in the season. The snow drift is approximately 50 cm deep.

No wonder he is looking forward to the Solstice. Personally I could not stand living in such a climate - but as with everything, it is what one is used to , I guess. But we all need an occasional cheering up.

Of course, it is no co-incidence that Christmas and Hanukkah both occur close to the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere - at a time when people have always needed a little cheering up.