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Summer Solstice

This is one of my favorite days of the year.  Even though it’s the first day of summer, my least favorite season, it’s also the longest day of the year, which means starting tomorrow, the days get shorter.  I love the short days.  Winter Solstice makes me sad because I know the days are going to start getting longer and that means summer will be here again.  Ughh . . summer!

I’m not complaining about living in central Texas where summers are brutal and we have so little rain and summers are long and we have days and days with temps over 100º.  Nope . . I’m not complaining . . even though it may sound that way to you. I don't know smile

There won’t be any noticeable difference for the next few days in the time the sun rises and the time the sun sets but I know the days are getting shorter and that makes me smile.

When it isn’t dark til almost 9 p.m., we’re outside watering and working in the garden and by the time we come in, we’re exhausted and I get no knitting done.  We clean up and it’s time for bed.  In the winter when it gets dark early, we’re in and cleaned up by 6 and have lots of time to wind down and get some handwork and knitting done.

What of the two seasons do you like best – the long days of summer or the short days of winter?

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Comments

  1. We are opposites as I love the long days of summer. Live in Colorado where winter’s short days are cold and snowy. Here summers are mild and dry with long evening to sit outside or take walks with the dogs. If I lived where you do I might not like summer as much.

  2. I like the long days! They short ones probably wouldn’t be so bad if they weren’t cold! I live in Illinois and dread the short, cold days of winter.

  3. I LOVE SUMMER! I like it hot! (you already know I’m a little strange that way)

  4. I absolutely LOVE the long days of summer. I love that it is warm out, and stays light until past 9:30 at night. Our winters often start in October, and last until the end of April, and are cold, dark and snowy. Right now, I don’t even want to think about it. Brrrr……

  5. I love the long days. When I get home from work and it is already dark I don’t feel like doing anything. I actually get more sewing done in the summer. The weekends are a different story. We run here and there all weekend and I get nothing accomplished. But it is kinda fun.

  6. I’m opposite of you, Ms. Judy. I LOVE when winter solstice hits!!!! Knowing that the days are getting longer….it makes me think that I can make it through those cold, brutally LONG dark hour days, knowing that the hours of summer sunlight will return sooner than later. HOWEVER, we have a big difference in location — Northern Wisconsin versus Texas. I don’t know what it’s like to have two garden growing seasons; your winters don’t get as cold as ours….. I’m certain that if we didn’t have days and weeks on end of sub-zero days with temps dropping to a potential 50 below zero with wind-chills in December-February, I may be signing a different tune. So, until we move (not happening!), I’ll continue to LOVE summer hands-down over winter 🙂

  7. I love the long days of summer even though I live in Arizona and are summers are brutal (we’re talking temps of 112+ this week). I wish that it stayed dark until 9 or so at night but we are not on daylight savings time and it gets dark by 8 pm. I’m originally from Rhode Island and the things I don’t miss are the cold and snow. Give me long sunny days anytime!

  8. I hate being hot so summers in St Louis are my least favorite time of the year. In my next life I want to summer in the Rockies and winter in Texas.

  9. I will take winter over summer anyday. I hate the heat and as you know the humidity of Louisiana is awful. I just returned (2 weeks ago) from Alaska. I loved it. The temps in the daytime were in the low 50’s. I wore my winter clothes and took my Louisiana winter coat with me (I also have an Iowa winter coat, there is a difference). I hate to wish my life away but when the 1st of October rolls around I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel and cool weather is on its way.

  10. I’ll take winter and spring. We are also well into the 110 + temps. The heat just does me in. We leave for Lake Tahoe for 5 weeks on Monday and I cannot wait. Our winter and spring is so nice here. I am originally a northern CA girl. I have never acclimated to this desert heat. I like to spend my winter and spring days out in the garden. Cuddle up in the evening under a quilt. We eat earlier in winter. I just can’t really get into cooking dinner if it is not dark out. I hate daylight savings time.

  11. I love the balmy fall days best of all. I love winter because I can sit in front of my fireplace and stitch or knit or watch TV. Next favorite is spring because it is so beautiful watching the world come to life and I really don’t like summer at all but since i love the changing seasons, i have to take summer too.

  12. I’m with you about summer, my least favorite of the seasons. Come July 1 (and sometimes earlier) I am done with trying to do anything in my yard but keep things alive. I hate to even have to get out and do errands as it’s hot by 11am or before. I look forward to mid to late September and the cooling days and October and November, and I do enjoy the shorter days as well. I think if I lived in a northern state, I would probably think different. Love to go to northern states (and Alaska), or Canada, in the summer.

  13. Living in the north of England I always hated winter – the days are so very short. In the Middle East and West Africa the seasons were wet or dry, but now in Virginia I pretty much love all seasons.

  15. I’m just the opposite, Judy! I haved always lived in the north, LOVE summer and mourne the shortening of the days! We celebrated the longest day tonight, though, with a trip to the DQ with visiting granddaughter, not quite 5 years old. Marcie

  16. I prefer Fall and Spring. Here, in the foothills of the R ockies it’s too damn cold in the winter and too damn hot in the summer. In the plus 30’s and in the minus 30’s are not my cup of tea!!!

  17. I’m so looking forward to the first frost! That means good bye to the heat and humidity for a few months. It means soup on the back burner, snoozing under a warm and cuddly quilt, and watching birds out the windows as giant snow flakes fall.

  18. I love the short days too… I like getting cozy in the house in the evenings.. Summer long days just aren’t for me..

  19. i LIVE for the long days of summer. the more light the better. i HATE the short days of winter and being cooped up inside with the windows shut. i like to work on quilting anytime of the year. i get less done in the summer, though, just because it is so hot in my sewing room. we don’t have air conditioning. i work in the am and the evening when it is cooler.

  20. I feel just like you. I love the very thought that we’re on the downhill side of the mountain and that we’re now sliding towards fall. It helps me to survive the hot, humid summers in Mississippi–just knowing we’re now headed in the other direction, sigh…

  22. Living in a beach town in SoCalif, there isn’t a lot of extreme in temperatures throughout the year. We can pretty much go outside 350+ days a year without much bother. The worst are the Santa Ana winds (hot, dry) and the couple of weeks a year we seem to get super humid weather. I love the long summer days because I get home from work sometimes 7 oclock at night and I like knowing it will still be light for a couple of hours and I can putter in the yard or just enjoy the sunshine, talk to the neighbors, whatever. In the winter when I get home after dark it seems weeks go by where I don’t see a single soul outside, just drive straight into my garage and close the door. Dreary!

  23. I guess my favorite season would be spring, but really like them all for various reasons. Spring – new buds on the trees, Mother Earth waking up and showing us her beauty, Summer – long days of light to do lots of outdoor activities – gardening, biking, swimming, etc., Fall – love the colors of fall, crisp days to walk in dried leaves, cooking soup and stews, canning any garden harvest; Winter – sleeping with lots of quilts on the bed, watching a silent snow fall cover the ground and not having to go to work, more time to sew and read. That’s why I like living i the Midwest! We have it all!!

  24. Spring, the end of February is usually here in the low 70’s, clear and beautiful

  25. I totally agree with you—I love the long evenings when it gets dark out early….and I even live in Wisconsin where it gets mighty cold—love it!!

  26. I’m a summer (actually spring) person and I live in AZ. It was only109 today.

  27. Can I join the club? I really do enjoy all of the seasons although, like you we would certainly welcome a little more rain and I would like to ban the 110 degree afternoons. And yes, when we’re working outside until after 8, we come in exhausted. In fact it’s after 10 now and way past my bedtime because 5 am will get here before I know it. I feel like I have no time to stitch things by hand. So I’m celebrating today with you.

  28. I’m so glad there are others who love fall and winter — Fran said it best, and I agree with you both!

  29. Oh I definitely like the short days of winter even though it is cold depending on where you live I just like the cooler weather. 100+ temps make me grumpy and irritable :l

  30. I am a winter gal. I hate the heat, busy-ness, and the bugs of summer! Even tho I love the long days. I have not been in my sewing room to do much more then throw something in there in 3 weeks! I HATE it when it gets this busy, and there is no end in sight for a few more weeks. Give me the cold, and boring days of winter…at least till March, then I am usually ready for a *bit* more sunshine…but I can always drive south! And I am not a gardener, so don’t have to miss that at all!

  31. I’m another fall and winter person. Right now it is hot and humid here and I am not a happy camper. I get way more quilting done in the winter when it’s too cold to go out. In the summer, it’s too hot to go out but the humdiity drains the energy out of me and I’m too tired to do much of anything. I look forward to the beginning of fall, which is my favourite season of them all

  32. Summer? I think it has been cancelled here in the UK! The weather is dull, wet and grey. I don’t like it hot but I do need to see the sun.
    My favourite season is autumn, I love the warm, sunny days coupled with cooler nights and the beautiful autumn colours.

  33. I love the long days of summer and during winter, I look forward to the time when the days first begin to get a little longer.I love the colors and smells of summer

  34. give me Winter with rain and snow and wind and quilts and hot soup.
    in Summer i just can’t get comfortable or stay dry for the heat and the humidity.

  35. I’m a summer girl no matter what and I love it not being dark till about 9 p,m. Winter and cold and early night don’t inspire me. The first year we moved to KY (nearly three years ago) it snowed 22 inches that winter. Forget about it. I’ll take the heat and the sun any day. You can always stay inside with a/c. But I’m usually on my deck reading.

  36. Aaahhh, the long days of summer! They’re the best! When the days get shorter, it gets colder and soon it will snow. Icky…icky…icky! Summer is hot and there is a lot of work to be done but this year I will retire in October and it will be better. No more having to brave the elements to deliver packages for UPS! I can hardly wait! When it snows I will be able to stay in and quilt or paint or clean closets or………the list is endless. Maybe all seasons will be best in the upcoming years!

  37. I SO despise the insanely long days. We are are the far edge of the CST time zone and I never even though about things like daylight when we moved up here. The past week or so, it has been nearly 10pm before it is dark. UGH!!! I hate it. My body doesn’t realize it is time to slow down and shut down for the evening like it should around 6pm. I love the shorter days and feel better when the days are shorter.

  38. I feel exactly the opposite. I love long hours of daylight, and shorter days sadden me.I much prefer summer, because that’s when I usually have more control of my days and how I spend my time without the demands of a long commute to teach. I dread the short days of winter when I leave home in the dark and return home after sunset and have to battle unsafe roads. I do love spring and fall, despite having less time for things I would wish to do.

  39. Long days of summer definitely — that way I actually get to see some daylight and not just out an office window. I can handle the cold and the snow but going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark is the worst part of winter for me.

  40. I like SPRING the best and we got cheated this year on that. I’m with you, when it’s light outside we tend to spend more time outside playing and getting the garden produce picked. As a child I loved the Summer and played until dark every night. It depends on where you are in your stage of Life, I think.

  41. Personally – I LOVE Spring and Fall! Would cheerfully have ONLY those two seasons – with only an occasional “yeah, that’s Summer” or “o-kay that’s winter!)

    I USED to love winter too – but that was before my legs, feet and hands were frostbitten for the 3rd time (did you know it can take 3 days or longer to regain NORMAL feeling in your legs????) – and don’t dare be THAT badly frostbitten again!

    Summer – would be fine – except for the heat, the stinging gnats and mosquitos which LOVE me – and – oh my! the asthma and allergies which make life interesting!

    So – I vote for Spring and Fall with only a mild touch of the other two seasons!

  42. I so rarely find someone with the same sentiments as myself about seasons! I hate hot weather and it’s often 105 or higher in the central valley of California in the summer. I was just thinking this morning that today, the days get shorter even thought I know it will still be hot. I don’t like the fact that it’s harder to go back to sleep when I wake up too early if the sun is already up. My birthday is on the winter solstice and that makes me happy!!

  43. I love Spring when the flowers are beginning to bloom and its not too hot or cold. I also love Fall because it reminds me of the times the family gathers together and the temperatures are cool but still nice enough to spend time outside and enjoy each others company.

  44. Judy, did you think to place an egg standing upright all day?? I went to the fridge to show the kids – b/c it only happens once a year – but we’d used them all last weekend for cooking Father’s Day breakfast.

    Love from Indiana! ~bonnie

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