Summertime

The pitter-patter of rain followed by brief periods of silence and often abruptly interrupted with loud crashing thunder - this is the musical background nature provides me with this summer morning.  Summer is here, it has finally arrived.  We celebrated the summer solstice routinely, as we do every year.  Since it is the longest day of the year, we spend as much time outside in the evening as possible.  As the evening slowly passes, we collect kindling and build a fire.  It is our family tradition to roast marshmallows on the solstice.  The fire sparks as the night ever so slowly creeps on.  We ponder the nature of our lives, the nature of our universe, the nature of the cycles that we live by.  And while we enjoy the outdoors, knowing that the summer solstice is the longest day of the year, we are reminded that the days will begin to shorten as we go forward.  Thus another cycle of our lives continues on...