" In observation of Summer Solstice"
Christina Countryman
In recognition of the blessing of being alive on this beautiful planet
With great gratitude I honor the four directions
To the east and all that lay in that direction…
May the air and oceans enfold you in glorious beauty
And all creatures thrive upon your shores in health and harmony
Blessed be
To the south and all that lay in that direction...
May your mountains and rivers wash clean water to the sea
And your lakes and forests shelter all who dwell there
Blessed be
To the west and all that lay in that direction…
May the big sky of your plains sparkle with crystal clarity
And gift all life with healing rains and glorious sunshine
Blessed be
To the north and all that lay in that direction…
May your midnight sun shine upon a planet filled with hope
And the possibility of a peaceful world be made real
Blessed be
- JUST BLOOMED TODAY
- TWEET TREATS
- DID YOU KNOW...?
- GARDEN UPDATE
- GARDEN READ~THE MAGIC OF A MIDSUMMER NIGHT PART FOUR
- FAUNA
- GARDEN GIGGLE
- GARDEN GAMES
- GARDEN GOODIES~SHARE OUR GARDEN RECIPE #0035 QUIRKY BLONDES
- WHAT IN THE WORLD? OVER THE FENCE
- FEEDBACK
JUST BLOOMED TODAY
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| Peace Rose |
TWEET TREATS
(Editor's Note:We are introducing this new feature to bring you the quirky, funniest and most interesting tweets from Twitter that we came across. If you come across one you'd like to share, please do!)
DID YOU KNOW...?
There is an old English saying that summer has not arrived until you can set your foot upon 12 daisies. Today the Summer Solstice of 2012 will officially begin at 7:09 p.m. EDT, the instant the sun climbs to its farthest point north of the equator.
Though the actual length of the 24-hour day doesn't change, daylight will last a fraction of a second longer on June 20 than on June 19 or 21. From here on out, the days will get just a bit shorter each day until the winter solstice in December.
No one knows why ancient people built Stonehenge, but it was constructed to align with the summer and winter solstices.
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| After turning on a lamp, the very tidy man was relieved to see that what had appeared to be a pile of clothes was, in fact, only a clown. Tweeter: Leemanish |
DID YOU KNOW...?
There is an old English saying that summer has not arrived until you can set your foot upon 12 daisies. Today the Summer Solstice of 2012 will officially begin at 7:09 p.m. EDT, the instant the sun climbs to its farthest point north of the equator.
Though the actual length of the 24-hour day doesn't change, daylight will last a fraction of a second longer on June 20 than on June 19 or 21. From here on out, the days will get just a bit shorter each day until the winter solstice in December.
No one knows why ancient people built Stonehenge, but it was constructed to align with the summer and winter solstices.
GARDEN UPDATE
It's the Summer Solistice or the First Day of Summer! Wow, Spring went quick!This is the longest day of the year.
Not looking forward to the hotter days but enjoying seeing the annuals for a wee bit longer.
I did finish the planting of the new plants I bought at the 99cent store yesterday. They include alyssum, lobelia and petunias. Here's a picture:
GARDEN READ~THE MAGIC OF A MIDSUMMER NIGHT PART FOUR
Continuing with our story...
Plants, too, have their night secrets. The moonflowers, water lily, and many of the cacti of the desert bloom in darkness, to be pollinated by moths and night flies. One plant specially equipped for the darkness is the yellow evening primrose, found along many country roads throughout the land. It opens just at dusk, so swiftly that it can be seen- and heard! Many an evening in my childhood, as the sun sank, I would sit down in a clump of these flowers to watch. Presently I would hear a noise like popping soap bubbles, and as I looked closer, I could see the swelling buds burst open.
In addition to special night equipment, nature has devised one more artifice to keep life humming: Almost all things move on a rigid time schedule-so that they will not have to compete too strenuously for space and food. This schedule is not based on clock time but light time. When the light intensity reaches a bird's or mammal's "threshold" he pops awake or goes to sleep.
We often watch the light timing in the twilight tick the birds off to sleep, each at a different minute. In our area, the wren is the first to leave the work of the day. Then, as night slips up (for it rises rather than falls) and the last rays of sun remain in the treetops, the crows gather and argue over roosting spots. For the next 20 minutes, the night songs of the phoebes, the sparrows, and the thrushes are called off like signatures as these species go to sleep. The sun sets, the robin chirps on for about an hour, and the swallows dive and dip after the rising insects until they can no longer see.
When the light is almost gone, the deer and rabbits arise and begin eating. They will browse until it becomes too dark, then bed down.
Continues tomorrow!
GARDEN GIGGLE
It's the Summer Solistice or the First Day of Summer! Wow, Spring went quick!This is the longest day of the year.
Not looking forward to the hotter days but enjoying seeing the annuals for a wee bit longer.
I did finish the planting of the new plants I bought at the 99cent store yesterday. They include alyssum, lobelia and petunias. Here's a picture:
Continuing with our story...
Plants, too, have their night secrets. The moonflowers, water lily, and many of the cacti of the desert bloom in darkness, to be pollinated by moths and night flies. One plant specially equipped for the darkness is the yellow evening primrose, found along many country roads throughout the land. It opens just at dusk, so swiftly that it can be seen- and heard! Many an evening in my childhood, as the sun sank, I would sit down in a clump of these flowers to watch. Presently I would hear a noise like popping soap bubbles, and as I looked closer, I could see the swelling buds burst open.
In addition to special night equipment, nature has devised one more artifice to keep life humming: Almost all things move on a rigid time schedule-so that they will not have to compete too strenuously for space and food. This schedule is not based on clock time but light time. When the light intensity reaches a bird's or mammal's "threshold" he pops awake or goes to sleep.
We often watch the light timing in the twilight tick the birds off to sleep, each at a different minute. In our area, the wren is the first to leave the work of the day. Then, as night slips up (for it rises rather than falls) and the last rays of sun remain in the treetops, the crows gather and argue over roosting spots. For the next 20 minutes, the night songs of the phoebes, the sparrows, and the thrushes are called off like signatures as these species go to sleep. The sun sets, the robin chirps on for about an hour, and the swallows dive and dip after the rising insects until they can no longer see.
When the light is almost gone, the deer and rabbits arise and begin eating. They will browse until it becomes too dark, then bed down.
Continues tomorrow!
GARDEN GIGGLE
- This girl said she recognized me from the vegetarian club, but I'd never met herbivore.
- I'm reading a book about anti-gravity and I can't put it down.
- At first I didn't like the idea of a beard, then it grew on me.
- You know why the cross-eyed teacher lost her job, don't you? She couldn't control her pupils.
- I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.
- Broken pencils are pointless.
- I used to be a banker, but I lost interest.
- Velcro-what a rip-off!
FAUNA
Mobile users-if you cannot see this video, go to this link.
The bargain bin in my supermarket started this recipe! When I saw the peanut butter cookie mix, my mouth was watering. When I got home, though, all these ideas started to pop up and resulted in this moist, low fat,delicious twist on blonde brownies.
You Will Need:
(1) pkg of Peanut Butter Cookie Mix (we used Krusteaz Bakery Style)
(1) egg
(1) small (single serving size) tub of applesauce (we used Applesnax Mango-Peach applesauce)
(1/2) cup butterscotch chips
(1) T water
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Mix in a large mixing bowl the egg,1T water and the applesauce. Add dry cookie mix. Stir by hand until moistened.
Spray a 9X9X2 pan with cooking spray and pour in mixture. Add butterscotch chips on top, pressing slightly into batter, but not mixing them in.
Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until middle is set. Let cool on counter. Slice into 9 squares and enjoy!
WHAT IN THE WORLD? OVER THE GARDEN FENCEOn today in American history, people in gardens everywhere were talking about:
1788: The U.S. Constitution was ratified (without the Bill of Rights)
1893: In New Bedford, Massachusetts, Lizzie Borden was found innocent of the brutal ax murders of her step-mother and father
1920: Newlyweds Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks honeymoon in London
1964: The KKK kills three civil rights activists registering black voters
1965: The Byrds release their debut album Mr. Tambourine Man starting the folk-rock revolution
1966: Operation Rolling Thunder continues in Vietnam
1981: John Hinckley Jr., who shot President Reagan and 3 others, was found not guilty by reason of insanity
2012: Summer Solistice, the official first day of summer begins!
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