A Solstice Sundial

Cirrus clouds high in the sunset sky.

It's June, which means the start of summer here in the Northern Hemisphere, and it also means the sun is reaching its highest point in the sky.

Here in the Seattle area -- as we are located near 47 degrees North -- the sun stays out late during solstice time. Around June 21st (St. John's Eve -- which is never celebrated over here) the sky remains light as late as 10:30 at night. Over the years you can track the points where the sun sets over the months, and it is setting farther and farther to the north right now.

My own shadow on a sunlit section of a local trail.

Every neighborhood probably has a type of 'sundial' -- a street or area which is aligned with the sun's setting or rising. Apparently New York City is aligned in such a way that on one particular day every year the sun sets in alignment with its East-West streets, and when the sun sets, it creates a spectacular glow down the corridors between the tall buildings.

Near the area where I live there is a section of a local trail that receives the sunshine much later than any other part of the surrounding area. It is located at just the right position that it is still sunny when all the surrounding areas are in the shade.

Here you can see a small area lit up by sunlight while the surrounding area is mostly in shadows.

A few days ago I took a spin on my bike and took my camera, and snapped a couple pictures of a bridge bathed in sunlight, while surrounding areas are in the shade.

June is my favorite time of the year, following October and Christmas. It's because the sun is so bright and cheery during this time of year. It has a special energy about it that is hard to describe, but the mornings are awesome and the evenings are usually bright and often balmy.

The sunset was spectacular. By solstice it will set a few degrees to the right, closer to the two trees you can just see on the distant ridge.

We are just entering Cottonwood season here, which seems to be hitting us late this year for some reason. There was a short period where the 'cotton' was creating drifts beside the Trail, but then it stopped.

The sunset using a slightly different setting on my camera, and taken from a slightly different angle.

The Swainson's Thrush, a faithful harbinger of late Spring, has just started its piccolo like song that can be heard echoing through the woods. There is one that nests near the beaver's pond that sings away every morning and afternoon during June.

Soon after the sun set over the hill, a pair of kayakers floated past on the river. The river used to carry small coal barges in the early 1900's -- now it is used by recreational floaters during summer season.

SOME THOUGHTS ON THE ORLANDO TRAGEDY

As most of you are probably aware, last Saturday night (the early morning of June 13th) there was a mass shooting at a popular night club in Orlando, Florida. It was a definite shock to hear about it on the radio, and the following day there was extensive coverage of the terrorist act on radio as well as other media.

It's hard to fathom the pain and suffering the families of the victims are going through. No one goes to a club expecting a shooting to happen.

Spring flowers near a frog pond.

MY FRIEND IS SAFE, THANK GOD

I have a friend who lives in Orlando: very thankfully, she wasn't there at that nightclub when the mass shooting occurred.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of the victims.

CC 6-15-2016