Stonehenge, as seen in a visit on June 22, 2014
I don't know if the builders of Stonehenge used the phrase "make hay while the sun shines," or its prehistoric equivalent. Actually we're not quite sure who were the builders of Stonehenge or its exact purpose, though the "interpretation of Stonehenge which is most generally accepted is that of a prehistoric temple aligned with the movements of the sun (from an article from the website for English Heritage)." Because of the relationship with the sun, it's a site that was visited by many today, the longest day of the year.
My cousin who on a business trip in Poland wrote that the sun was just setting at 10:30 PM and my friend Linda, who is in Iceland north of the Arctic Circle noted that sunset yesterday was at midnight and sunrise this morning was at 1:30 am. The sun set at 8:30 PM here in New York and now the days begin to get shorter. We will still have lots of sunshine in New York and I usually don't begin to notice that the days are growing shorter until some time in September, which is just about the same time it becomes necessary to put on a jacket at night.
One of my father's favorite songs was "September Song" and its haunting lyrics begin to come to mind as the days grow shorter, just as the song says. I've been somewhat melancholic since I've been home from Hanover, with an awareness that the days grow shorter in every way. I didn't feel this way after my Mount Holyoke reunion, but in Hanover I discovered a trove of new friends fifty years out of college and realize that our days together are not infinite.
But I'm taking to heart the injunction to make hay, or rather memories, while the sun shines and to keep in touch with my new friends and enjoy their company as often as possible. I got a letter today from my friend Charlotte and what a sweet feeling it gave me.
Dear friends, enjoy the sunshine and enjoy the precious days we are blessed with.
As ever, thanks for visiting! Yours, Buttercup
