Today we welcome the Summer Solstice and the official first day of summer, although we’ve been experiencing summer-like temps in the Sacramento area for some time now. If you haven’t already, it’s time to scrape last year’s crud off the grill and kick off the BBQ season!

The timing of the Summer Solstice, my good friend Michael reminds me, depends on when the sun reaches its farthest point north of the equator. This occurs each year between June 20 and 22, this year the 21st at exactly 11:06 A.M. PDT. The word solstice is derived from the Latin sol (sun) and stitium (to stop), reflecting the fact that the sun appears to stop at this time (and again at the winter solstice.)

Midsummer Day falls this year on June 24. Midsummer Eve and Midsummer Day are considered sacred to lovers. Says Michael:

“On Midsummer Eve, pick seven different wildflowers and then walk home silently and backward. Place the flowers under your pillow and dream of your future husband.”

(Or wife, I suppose, as the case may be.) I’m not sure what’s supposed to happen; perhaps you’ll find one or the other under your pillow when you awaken?

In Lithuanian tradition, the dew on Midsummer Day morning was said to make young girls beautiful and old people look younger. It was also thought that walking barefoot in the dew would keep your skin from getting chapped. Hmmm…Need some of that…

Michael also tells me that the Summer Solstice heralds a national event in Finland where the entire country basically takes the week off and gets drunk while burning things. He may be pulling my leg on this one…

And according to Selena Fox:

“The Goddess manifests as Mother Earth and the God as the Sun King. Colors are Yellow, Green, and Blue. It is a festival of community sharing and planetary service.

Celebrate Solstice time with other Pagans — take part in the Pagan Spirit Gathering or some other Pagan festival happening during June. Keep a Sacred Fire burning throughout the gathering. Stay up all night on Solstice Eve and welcome the rising Sun at dawn. Make a pledge to Mother Earth of something that you will do to improve the environment and then begin carrying it out. Have a magical gift exchange with friends. Burn your Yule wreath in a Summer Solstice bonfire. Exchange songs, chants, and stories with others in person or through the mail. Do ecstatic dancing to drums around a blazing bonfire.”

Don’t know if I’ll go that  far, but I will at least clean the grill…

Michael sent this image of a beautiful sunset “looking toward the island across the lake” during their recent trip to Finland to visit Sisko’s mom. Says Michael, “It was about 10 PM and the sky was even more brilliant than the photo portrays.”

This “Perfect Moment” rose was photographed by Sisko Darling in her back yard a few days ago. Perfect indeed!

One of my favorite hobbies, though not seriously pursued in recent years, is travel and wildlife photography. It requires lugging the heavy gear, getting up before daylight to be in the right place at the right time, and great patience waiting for the miracle to happen. More often than not, the moment doesn’t come or, worse yet, we miss it when it does. But every once in a while, everything seems to fall into place and we get a really great image. And that’s what keeps us going back for more.

Here’s one example, not one of mine I’m sorry to say, but a finalist in the 36th annual National Wildlife Photo Contest, the results for which were published in the Dec-Jan 2007 issue of National Wildlife Magazine.

Amateur photographer Steve Irving photographed a male calliope hummingbird (left) attempting to chase a female rufous hummingbird away from a feeding flower while he was attending a photography workshop last year in British Columbia. “I’ve taken many photos of fighting hummingbirds,” Steve says. “Usually all I get is wings or a blur, or nothing at all.” This great shot earned him First Place in the “Birds, Amateur” category.

More than 12,000 images were submitted in eight categories during the past year to the contest. Selected by the editors on the basis of originality and execution, the winners appear in the linked article. They are amazing and include captions by the photographers describing how they captured each image. Nice work all!

Michael sent this nice collection of 40 aviation images ranging from commercial to military to aerobatic. I extracted them from the Powerpoint file so they could be posted here. Click on the image below to view them all (Click  any image to enlarge.)

This image has circulated the ‘Net for a few years, I believe, but Ted sent it again and I thought it was cool enough for a reprise…

Frequently, mirror images are used by photographers to convey serenity in nature of mountains reflected in lakes, for example, as well as in commercial works like this edgy Barry Lewis image of Scott Ridley. And sometimes they’re aimed at grabbing attention or evoking emotion as I believe was the case in the image below. It’s particularly striking because of the predominance of black which creates an almost eerie, disconcerting reaction in the viewer. Does it move you? If so, how?

Those of you who know me know of my passion for adventure scuba diving and underwater photography/videography. So when I was offered the opportunity a few years ago to deep dive in a small exploration submarine, I jumped in with both feet! I found it exhilarating, educational and will definitely do it again should I get the chance.

The Deep: The Extraordinary Creatures of the Abyss is a new book by Claire Nouvian who was so inspired by what she saw in the deep ocean that she set about raising awareness of all that we don’t know about the estimated 20 million undiscovered species living there. She worked with various research organizations to curate 220 stunning images, many of creatures never before captured on film. 160 of them are published in the book that Sylvia Earle (National Geographic Society) calls “…the most stunningly beautiful book about the sea ever produced.” I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy!

Often without realizing it, we’ve all witnessed the sometimes amazing results of Photoshop and other photo retouching software. Now ubiquitous, such photographic “makeovers” are commonly used to enhance images of models and actresses for magazine covers and advertisements. While there are numerous videos circulating the Internet showing extreme Photoshop makeovers, this one shows a broader range of the software’s amazing capabilities.

We’re enjoying beautiful spring weather although temps have reached the 90s, a little above normal for this time of year. A cooling trend to the 80s is forecast for the rest of the week.

Call me a weenie, but I’m most comfortable with 72-80 and a summer peak around 85. Still, I’m thoroughly enjoying spring. Birds are chirping, mama ducks are ushering their recently hatched ducklings to the lake for their first swimming lessons, flowers are blooming in all their glory…everything is fresh, clean and new.

Noah Kirchner, Michael and Sisko’s son, snapped this bird image the other day and wants to know if anyone can help him identify it. If you think you recognize the little critter, let us know in “comments.”

Capitol Park, a 40 acre oasis surrounding the State Capitol in downtown Sacramento, provides a respite from the daily hustle and bustle of government and private business in the state’s capitol. Dawn and I occasionally stroll along the many paths leading through the beautifully landscaped grounds and marvel at the variety and abundance of trees and shrubs that thrive within the park. A multitude of bird species and squirrels call the park home and provide endless entertainment to park visitors both young and old.

Beautification of the park began in 1870, four years before the Capitol’s completion in 1874. The land was graded and augmented with river silt and soil, then planted with 800 trees, shrubs, and flowers. The landscaping included more than 200 varieties of rare plant life from nearly every continent and climate around the world, from sub-tropic to sub-arctic. Many of the non-native tree and shrub species planted over a century ago continue to thrive. In fact, due to Sacramento’s temperate climate and steady water supply, several of the park’s tree species are said to grow larger and better here than in their native habitats.

Over the years, both acreage and plantings have been added to the park which now spans 12 city blocks. Its landscaping includes hundreds of species of trees, shrubs and flowers from sequoias, redwoods, and magnolias to roses, camellias, and cacti. An average of 20,000 new plants and flowering bulbs are planted annually. Countless birds and squirrels occupy the trees, walkways and even benches. And more than a million people come to the park each year to visit its memorials and monuments, sit or stroll among the greenery and participate in a variety of activities.

On a recent visit to the park, we enjoyed watching the resident squirrels who have, after years of indulgence by park visitors, become somewhat insistent about receiving payment, in the form of peanuts, in exchange for posing for photographs. It’s like dealing with a union shop; there’s little room for negotiation. And so on this outing, Dawn and I came prepared.

They approach without fear, stand on their hind legs and say, “Okay, buddy, I see the camera; whatcha got for me?” And right on cue, we paid up. After all, we wanted a few photos once they’d devoured or hidden the peanuts. And like clockwork, the little guys kept their part of the bargain, posing atop fences, park benches and low hanging branches. It was quid pro quo; peanuts for pictures. They’re so cute, we sometimes forget they’re rodents!

After leaving the squirrels a generous tip, we strolled the park and took in the Viet Nam and War Memorials, numerous statues and the abundant flora, marveling at the beauty of it all. Then we returned to our regular routines, refreshed and rejuvenated, eagerly looking forward to our next park visit. We’ll bring peanuts.

Signs of Spring are everywhere… Even in your own backyard.

The Bethpage Federal Credit Union New York Air Show returns to Jones Beach May 26-27 and this year features the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. If you’re in the area, it’s a show to see.

Meanwhile, here are 12 great images taken by Victoria Arocho during last year’s Memorial Day weekend show.

In his earlier work, Richard Caldicott used Tupperware containers as the subject for his photographs, elevating these common household objects to objects of beauty. Piling vibrantly colored plastic cups and bowls, he created abstract formations that were like eye-popping op-art paintings

His concern was the metamorphosis of the everyday, which for him has something almost alchemical about it. This went one step further in photography, by chemically transforming his constructions into two-dimensional pictures at the touch of a button. The work shows that he was aiming for a kind of transmutation of the functionality of everyday objects.

Caldicott refers to his latest works as “Constructions,” which not only suggests that he is manually making the things he photographs, but also creates a connection to constructivism and architecture. In this series, he leaves the realm of using specific objects, and deals directly with abstraction. He makes collages and assemblages, and then photographs them multiple times. The transparencies are then overlapped in different formations to get the final image.

His work is currently on view at the Galerie f5,6 in Munich until May 26th.

Via Cool Hunting.