Aaaaaaaaand, we're continuing to test weather plug-ins since the last one failed to deliver consistently.

What's the weather like this season?

As we continue on this journey around the sun, astronomical summer always begins on the day of the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. For 2025 that’s Friday, June 20, at 10:41 p.m. EDT. However, many are far less precise. Many consider summer starts at the end of the school term;. For others, Memorial Day weekend kicks off the hottest season of the year.

Solstice comes from the Latin words sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still) because the angle of the sun’s rays and the plane of the Earth’s equator appears to stand still. This is most noticeable at the Arctic Circle where the sun hangs on the horizon for 24 hours, which sparked the term “Land of the Midnight Sun.”

Just as winter can bring about Seasonal Affective Disorder [also known as SAD and winter depression, which is a form of depression typically at its worst during winter attributed to lack of sunlight and shorter day], there is also a summer form. However, for most of us, we tend to feel better and experience at least a slight boost in our overall mood in summer.

Unless, of course, we're in the midst of a heat-wave sauna-summer stint. UGH! And the heat/humidity hit very early this year!

Cosmically speaking, the summer solstice is a time for finding balance in your life and the courage to be your very best, boldest self. This is achieved by turning inward seeking the nourishment to grow and evolve. Grow and evolve -- just like nature.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. -- Ecclesiastes 3 KJV

Want to watch the Summer Solstice Live from Stonehenge? English Heritage is livestreaming it for free on Facebook or on their official YouTube channel from sunset Friday, June 20, 2 p.m. EDT to sunrise at 11 a.m. EDT Saturday, June 21. Plus, they will be saving it as video on their Facebook page for viewing at your leisure. [Need we point out the times given are our time, not British time? We sure hope we do not!]

Of course, scammers have caught on to this so: "Make sure you're following their Facebook page to get a notification when they go live. You can also tap 'Get Reminder' on the posts they will share to this event beforehand to make sure you join them in plenty of time.

Beware of fake streams, scams and impersonators. Ensure you're watching the stream only on the official English Heritage channels. They will never ask for credit card details to access the stream.
Official channels on which the stream will be available are:
www.facebook.com/englishheritage
www.facebook.com/StonehengeEH
www.youtube.com/c/englishheritage

They will not be broadcasting the stream on any third party websites or alternative streaming sites."

Below is a photo that includes the actual solstice sundial boulder in the forefront, which marks sunrise and sunset on the solstices.

Stonehenge is famous for its alignments with the sun, but did you know that the ancient monument may have also been carefully designed to align with the movements of the Moon? It’s believed these lunar movements may have been observed during the early phase of Stonehenge.

If you are at all interested in this prehistoric standing stones monument, there's plenty of info -- and links to various livestreams at the Solstice page on the English Heritage website.

When we are in search of let's call it "homespun" information [gardening, astronomical, etc.] we frequently consult The Old Farmer's Almanac, the one with the hole in the corner for handy hanging on a nail. [If ya know, ya know!] Their astronomy section includes information on moon phases, meteors, eclipses, all the usual sky data one may need. Planting by moon phases continues to this day! There is also a monthly section on the night sky. For June, it includes this tidbit:

June 20: A Summer Solstice Spectacle!

June 20: The 20th [at 10:42 p.m.] marks the first day of summer for the Northern Hemisphere and the longest day of 2025 in the Northern Hemisphere. This is the day when the Sun is at its highest at midday, rising from its leftmost position and setting at the year’s rightmost spot on the horizon.

And there's plenty more where that came from! So be sure to check out their Astronomy section for night sky wonders... and more!

The summer season in our region typically features the usual gamut of weather – storms, flooding, tornadoes and in the more southerly portions of these United States: It’s hurricane season, from June 1 to Nov. 30.

From the National Weather Service: Severe weather in the United States causes numerous deaths and injuries and billions of dollars of damage. In a typical year, more than 1,200 tornadoes occur throughout the United States and nearly 12,000 reports of wind and hail are received from local law enforcement and the public. National Weather Service forecasters are the first line of defense in predicting severe weather. The NWS page gives information about, air quality, beach hazards, floods, heat, lightning, safe boating, sun[ultraviolet radiation], thunderstorms, tornadoes, and, of course, hurricanes.

The National Safety Council deals with such typical summer experiences as heat, bugs, playgrounds, fireworks, water safety, bicycling, skateboarding, boating and pedestrian safety.

Among the many safety topics available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website is extreme heat. In a nutshell it’s: stay cool, stay hydrated, stay informed! Even though heat-related deaths and illnesses are preventable, more than 600 people in the United States are killed by extreme heat every year.

At ready.gov, they feature a preparedness calendar. For June they include information on Pet Preparedness, Summer Safety / Extreme Heat and National Lightning Safety Preparedness Week. For July it’s Fireworks Safety and Extreme Heat. August wraps up the summer with guidance on Back to School: Children & Youth Preparedness.

Last but not least, our disaster preparedness section remains available to all.

Thanks to the Shirley Volunteer Fire Department, Earl Yost and Kevin Z. Smith for use of their photos.