Approaching prime time

’Tis the Saturday before Father’s Day. A few days before summer solstice, the longest day and shortest night of the northern hemisphere, occurs locally at 4:13 am. We’ll enjoy 93 days, 15 hrs, 49 mins of astronomical summer, but most of those days will decrease in length of daylight until we get to the autumnal equinox. That’s the way it works on our home planet, the only one we have.

Our fields behind the house are full of blue spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis) blossoms. This looks like a peak year for them and our wild grapevines have gone berserk this year and are growing everywhere. We seem to be making a little progress convincing ourselves that chores like cutting grass, policing dead branches and trapping pocket gophers are part of the life style of country living and not just yard work, which we have always hated. Whatever we call it, we got enough done to feel some progress was made instead of just holding our own. 

male scarlet tanager on grape jelly feeder

Photo by J. Harrington

The bird feeders once again attracted a male scarlet tanager. That made the morning exciting a day or so ago. Baltimore orioles seem to have disappeared, as has the indigo bunting. I expect the orioles to reappear when the fledglings are older. I also suspect the indigo bunting has moved on to northerly locales, with the heat forecast for tomorrow and next week, I can’t blame him.

Now that real summer, not just the meteorological version, is about upon us, I’ve decided to consciously try to chill more than usual. Yesterday’s rant about poorly coordinated road construction could easily be followed by similar diatribes about supply chain issues, political parties, governmental ineptitude and no end of other distressing and disheartening events. I don’t think we can afford to let stupidity, incompetence, or downright evil prevail. I’m slowly coming to accept if those tribes succeed in making us miserable, they win by default. I’m now working on the premise that to be happy is to be smart and to be smart is to be happy. The older version is “Don’t let the bastards grind you down.” (“Illegitimi non carborundum”)

Happy as a Dog’s Tail

By Anna Swir

Happy as something unimportant

and free as a thing unimportant.

As something no one prizes

and which does not prize itself.

As something mocked by all

and which mocks at their mockery.

As laughter without serious reason.

As a yell able to outyell itself.

Happy as no matter what,

as any no matter what.

Happy

as a dog’s tail.

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