Summer Solstice, part 2

I had some further thoughts on summer solstice late into the night yesterday as I watched a livestream of sunrise at Stonehenge. I just kinda stumbled upon the stream when I was winding down a bit after a busy day and wanted to watch something on youtube. It was the perfect way to end the evening.

(screenshots from https://www.youtube.com/live/Z8a4eoxUIMw)

 

 

There really is something to the idea that the sun is a god; it's just not a god concerned with the events of human life, however.

 

From a scientific standpoint, it's a god in the sense that it's this massive life-giving force that just IS. 

 

And without it, we would not exist.  

When I was very little and still believed in god, I had a similar experience & sense of wonder for both god and science stuff like astronomy. I kept the feelings of spirituality about science and the need for human customs & rituals, but left religious dogma stuff by the wayside by the time I got to high school. 

As much as humanity sucks sometimes, it's still so, so, so, fucking cool that people come together to celebrate similar events like this, and have done so for the entire history of the human race on this planet. In all cultures in all eras, people do stuff like this. They gather for a big important shared experience. They sing, drum, dance, laugh, exist together in joy & celebration, even if only for a brief time. 

The collective cheer that rang out when the sun finally rose was incredible, even just watching remotely. Moments like this are what life is all about.

Happy solstice!!

 

Summer Solstice

I had a lovely weekend attending not one, but three, summer parties. One at sunset into the late evening, around a firepit, talking with friends about upcoming summer plans. We ate fruit and bread. We watched bats fly & swoop around, heard a great horned owl, saw a few fireflies, watched the waxing moon set, sang, talked too long into the night.

 

The next day, I visited a friend celebrating a milestone. It was a 70s themed party. Caught up with some old work colleagues, met some new people. Drank, ate food, danced, relaxed in the shade, exchanged hugs and laughter, tie-dyed some socks, had a leisurely drive home during golden hour. 

 

 

Today, I slept in, spent a bit of time with family, ate grilled food, went for a walk, listened to music, basked in the light of the setting sun.  

 

 

I spent the first 6 months of 2026 going thru a pretty immense growth period, and in the latter half of the year, I have a lot of big things coming up in my life to carry me ahead. 

 

Happy Summer!  

 

Salem Summerween

I spent a day in Salem, MA yesterday with some friends. It was way too hot & sunny out there, but I managed to have a great time anyways. 

I hadn't been there in well over a decade, so it was nice to be back, but also a bit sad to see a lot of the old places are gone. Still, there are lots of new places to discover, and a lot of great things to see and do. 

 

RIP Pyramid Books 

 

Happy Halloween!

Can't believe the entire month of October is just here and gone again in a flash. Can't we have just one more week, please?

I've had an amazing autumn, though - the best I've had in years. Every day I've been grateful to be back in New England. Here's a visual diary representing my October this year: