Summer Solstice, happy Midsummer's Day

In this end of the world, that is! I know it's midwinter for some blogistas.

The picture is of the stephanotis on the patio table, where HP can see it, ready to burst out in a fanfare of scent any minute now. The scent is wonderful, powerful but not overdone, no wonder people like it in wedding bouquets. I pinch herbs for HP frequently, to let him smell. His sense of smell is very poor, result of medication years ago, but when he can smell them, it's a very nice experience for him.

And it's also the first day of summer, so the notion of calling it Midsummer's Day is puzzling, except that the seasons used to be counted differently, summer starting where spring now starts for us, so centuries ago, this was the middle of summer. I think the year was in two seasons then.

Of course if you live in north Yorkshire, the seasons make no nevermind, it's freezing even when the sun's out. I remember vividly, that part of the world being a lot further north than we often realize, on a par with Hudson's Bay, about, that it was light very late indeed in summer. We'd be able to play tennis in the park till it closed at 10.30 pm. Except that the sun might be out, but your legs would be chapped with the icy wind blowing directly from Siberia onto your tennis court and whipping round your poor knees.

HP's physio was here working with him when the French Open was on this year, and when I said it was live transmission, he said that's impossible, it's evening there, and look, broad sunlight! I reminded him about the latitude and he was pretty surprised.

But it is difficult to believe unless you visit, and I can't tell you how many pix I've been shown by US friends after their trip, look, this is us, and it's TEN O CLOCK at NIGHT! see, it's bright daylight! to which I say, well, yeah, like I told you before you went...

It works the other way too, though, and I remember not realizing how soon it got dark in the summer in Wisconsin, knowing the weather would be much warmer in the summer, and expecting long AND warm summer evenings. Dangit. Dark, mosquitoes, and warm. Hm.

HP is now more or less dozing and watching Wimbledon, and things are pretty calm today. Expecting various medical and helping personnel this week, nurse today. Oh well. The foot traffic is very difficult for me, being a person as likes her privacy, but privacy not an option right now.

Oh, good news on the kitchen front, thanks to encouragement from JC, mother of HC, how many people have a mother AND a daughter as friends? separately, individual people. Anyway, my contractor neighbor/friend is coming in Friday to take a look at my broken old dishwasher, which I've decided not to replace, rather have the space for better use, and he'll yank it out, cap off the plumbing and the wiring safely, and will measure up for a shelving unit to slide in there, yay, next week. JC had this done in their condo years ago, and it looks great.

He's done a lot of good work for us in this house, does houses, renovations, replacements, etc. So this is something to look forward to. Much better than seeing a useless rusty hulk under the counter..which has been a kind of dish drainer now for months.

Post interrupted for arrival of visiting nurse, who tells me things are going pretty well and she'll be back next week.

So Happy Solstice, all!