June 21st was the summer solstice—the official first day of summer. That’s when the North Pole tilts toward the sun and sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere hangs so high and long in the sky, we get the greatest hours of sunlight we receive all year. It’s called High Summer, my favorite time of year. The long-lasting twilight is wonderful with pinks, blues, and lavender tints that last long after sunset. In fact, it doesn’t become completely dark night until very late, and sunrise comes even before songbirds are awake to sing. People feel energized when there’s abundant light. Winter in these same northern regions is quite dark, and it can be challenging to feel cheerful and energetic. Merchants offer artificial light systems and vitamin combinations to compensate for the light shortage.
Several times I’ve flown to Europe via Iceland, and my travel dates coincided with High Summer. We left Minneapolis-St. Paul at 7 p.m. and flew the northern route through pastel twilight colors without it ever getting dark. We landed in Reykjavik just as the morning sun rose to fully light fields and flowers as we swept in for our landing. Many flowers were purple lupine. I’ve never seen such vibrant colors. Every stem and petal was backlit to glow from the inside out. I couldn’t grab my camera fast enough that first trip but was ready on later flights. Seeing such intense beauty is truly one of the most lovely things I’ve ever seen, probably only surpassed by the living colors in heaven.
This photo of wild lupin growing abundantly along Minnesota and Ontario roadsides, lakeshores, and many other places comes close to what I saw in Reykjavik.
In High Summer, store up such sunlight and colors like vitamins to nourish our systems. Remember them in darker days to keep drawing strength until the next High Summer rolls around.
What’s your favorite time of year? Why? What colors describe it? Have a happy and truly blessed week and rest of the summer.
My favorite season is spring followed by fall. It used to be reversed because I love the fall colors, but with the winters we’ve had lately, I’m just so happy to see spring!
Yes, thanks. “Global warming” has not affected recent winters that I can see. Spring has been arriving very late in the Mid-South and in Minnesota and northern prairie states as well!
mine is spring followed by fall.
Good choices! Thanks for commenting!