Solstice

[Sherry_AK]

This is what the longest day looks like in southcentral Alaska. These pictures were taken shortly after 11 p.m. tonight. The Solstice actually is at 3:28 a.m. here, but I might be asleep then! We do gain 1 more second of daylight tomorrow.

[akgardengirl]

Nice photos Sherry. I start feeling a little down when we start losing daylight. December ugh!
Sue

[frozengirl]

Notice how none of us are sleeping either!

[svalli]

Soltice was 18 minutes ago. Here comes the shorter days and our summer has not even started...

[Wi-sunflower]

I've been having problems sleeping as long as I would like to in the morning -- the birds are just way too noisy too early right now with the early daylight.

i live right next to a small park that have Indian Mounds that were part of a "calendar" way back when. The main mound - the Lizard - lines up for the 2 solstices.If you come out this evening and stand at the tail of the Lizard and look to the head, that will line up with the sunset today. in winter if you stand at the head and look to the tail, that will line up with the sunrise Dec 21.

Carol

[stormymater]

That is too cool Wi - sunflower! Think you could post a pic sometime of the site? Doesn't need to be lined up. Would just be cool to see....

[Sherry_AK]

Originally Posted by frozengirl

Notice how none of us are sleeping either!

That is pretty funny that the 'Alaska Girls' were up late last night! That's pretty standard around here in the summer. It's just easy to forget what time it is. And it was such a nice, clear night.

[akgardengirl]

It was a beautiful night and it looks as tho we will have another. I got alot done in the yard and transplanted flowers that a friend dropped by. That was a nice surprise.
Sue

[svalli]

Sherry, Does the sun shine on those mountain peaks through the night?

We do not have as gorgeous scenery like in Alaska, but still it looks really neat when it does not get dark at all. Sun starts to shine on my face 3:30 am through the bedroon curtains. Our cat has finally adjusted to the bright nights and just keeps sleeping. Official lenght of day here is today 20 hours 23 minutes. Web cam on a bridge here shows well how it does not get dark at all.
http://loke.novia.fi/~replot/last24.html
Here is a link to road camera close to our neighborhood
http://alk.tiehallinto.fi/alk/kelika...-C1052300.html

Carol, Where in Wisconsin do you live? We used to live in Genesee close to intersection of HWYs 59 and 83 in Waukesha county.

Sari

[Wi-sunflower]

Sari,

I grew up on the south side of Milwaukee 1 block from Lake Michigan. Now we have a farm outside of West Bend, about 50 miles north and a bit east of where you lived.

Lizard Mound County park used to be part of our farm long before we owned it. http://maps.google.com/maps?client=f...l&hl=en&tab=wl
There are about 50 mounds there made by the "woodland indians", most likely pre 1000 AD. A few were burial mounds but most were lined up for all kinds of celestial things like the solstice and lunar eclipses and planet alignments.

I'll try to get a pic sometime this week. Unfortunately the parks dept doesn't care about the calendar stuff so there is a big shrub that kind of blocks a good view of the sunset.

Carol

[dustdevil]

Sherry, nice pics. The zoom on your camera works real good.

[Sherry_AK]

Originally Posted by dustdevil

Sherry, nice pics. The zoom on your camera works real good.

Thanks! It's a wonder I was steady enough to get a clear shot ... swat mosquitoes, snap a picture, swat mosquitoes, snap a picture!

Sherry

[tjg911]

beautiful photos of a beautiful location sherry!

i know i am probably the only person here and possibly in the entire country that thinks this way but i'm happy we finally got to the solstice so now the days can start shortening. i wish we stayed on standard time as well. it is light here at 5 am and i don't want to wake up that early as i often go to bed at 2 am or later due to dog problems. staying on standard time would cause the sunrise to be an hour earlier than it does on DST so maybe i wouldn't like that. there's plenty of growing season left but i love it when the days shorten and cool off like in october. my favorite time of the year is november thru january but unfortunately on december 21 the days start getting longer! oh well...

i just checked and tomorrow will be 6 seconds shorter! yippee ;^)

tom

[Wi-sunflower]

Well no chance for a pic yesterday. We had severe weather come in after supper and it was cloudy most of the day. Right now it's sunny but we have a chance to weather again this evening and Wed too. Maybe the end of the week will be clear after supper.

Except for the sleep issues with the birds, I much prefer the longer days. I have mood issues (SAD) in the winter or when we have a prolonged spell of cloudy dreary weather.

Carol

[Sherry_AK]

Originally Posted by svalli

Sherry, Does the sun shine on those mountain peaks through the night?

Not really. It becomes more of a twilight look, sometimes with the mountains still looking a little pink or purple. Very pretty though.

beautiful photos of a beautiful location sherry!

i know i am probably the only person here and possibly in the entire country that thinks this way but i'm happy we finally got to the solstice so now the days can start shortening.

Thanks, Tom. Yes, I do think you're about the only one glad to see the shorter days. You would really like our winters!