(solstice)
Happy “standing still of the sun” (that’s the actual translation).
I hope you had a delightful midsummer longest day (I worked 11 hours – inside).
As a West Coast of Scotland resident, I am legally obligated to observe – the solstice having passed – that; “the nights are fair drawin’ in”.
In which case… why are the hottest days still to come?
Let’s face it, June 22/21/20 (whatever) may have the maximum hours of daylight (say 17-ish at our latitude) but they’re never the “hottest days”, that’ll be July (apart from the Glasgow fare) or August, or even that fabled “Indian summer” in September. How does that work out, eh?
Turns out – based on some very casual reading with no fact checking at all – it’s about accumulated heat. We’re still warming up, faster than we’re cooling down. So although the hours of light (and by extension, heat) reduce, temperature continues to rise, for a while.
I suppose that kind of makes sense, although (at least in my head, or in Sotland anyway) the idea that there is a “background warmth” seems pretty far fetched on a July day when you still have to go and put a jumper on. Personally I can make it work better in relation to midwinter , where indeed, it is seldom December that is coldest, presumably because we are still radiating heat away faster than the brief Jan/Feb sun can replace it.
This is all very (pseudo)scientific. So on a lighter note; the lovely Chris shared a moment- which seems increasing familiar (to us all I suspect), confessing that the word “Solstice” escaped/elluded her while the alternative “Saltire” kept presenting itself . I myself recently went to comment on “Dementia”, but could only mentally find the ailment “Dengue fever” … which I was (fairly) sure was wrong.
I suspect we have more of this to delight us in our future.
Next wink on IaDL : Equinox…or why I always liked Oxygene better…
Dalmallyfest the Asylum 