So rare
A perfect June day near Kennebunkport, Maine, 2012
And what is so rare as a day in June?
Then, if ever, come perfect days… — James Russell Lowell
June has been a blur for us this year, as perhaps it has been for you. We’ve been overwhelmed with hospitalizations, seemingly endless appointments, backlogged tasks indoors and out, and the yearly traffic snarls from summer travelers hitting the roads.
Even with the distractions, I can’t help noticing it’s a lovely time of year. Several times in the past weeks I’ve headed out for an evening walk, mentally laden with worries and stress, and felt my agitation melt away as I am bathed in the serenity of a cool summer twilight. The sun is not yet scorching enough to leave heat lingering after sunset, and the grass is thick and green. The flowers are fully blooming, not yet faded and leggy. Summer is still new enough to feel refreshing after a cold winter and wet spring.
Before the perfection of June passes into the sweltering heat of July and August, why not make some time to enjoy the longest hours of daylight we’ll have until this time next year? Although it’s easy to forget, these days are rare; enjoy them!
Defeat Despair 
My husband and I let our boys stay up later on the summer solstice to enjoy the longest day of the year. We eat popsicles, laugh and watch the sunset behind the lake in our backyard. That is one of our favorite June traditions. I agree that the extra daylight needs to be enjoyed. More memories are waiting to be made!
Thanks for sharing that Jenelle, it sounds like so much fun. I used to eat lots of popsicles when I was a kid – one of our neighbors would make them from Kool-Aid in Dixie cups and sell them for 5 cents each. They were so good! She earned enough money over the years — hundreds of dollars — to buy a horse for herself. I think staying up to celebrate the longest day is a great tradition!
As I look out of the window here in England it is raining. Temperatures so far have struggled to get above about 63F and most days we have about 6/8 cloud cover. When you look forward to balmy summer days and they don’t arrive it can be quite depressing.
I can imagine that it would be so disappointing. I hope you get some really warm days soon. Maybe your edition of the poem should say “what is so rare as a sunny day in June?” We had an unusually mild winter over here, so I hope that doesn’t mean we will have scorching hot days in a few weeks. I’ll have to head over to your blog and check the photos to watch for sunny weather over there. Your pictures always make me feel as if I’ve been there. Thanks for your visits here!
Good Friday morning, Julia. I’ve been enjoying some of Pasha’s photographs this morning. I enjoyed seeing him looking out at it snowing, standing on the edge of Lake Tahoe, and with the Easter bunny. Salty would say, “What a guy!” I’m sure. Sheila
Thanks, Sheila, I am so glad you are looking at Pasha’s photos. Those of us who have dogs in the family are almost as eager to share photos of them as we are of our children and grandchildren. He seems to be doing OK right now, but certainly not very active. No signs of distress, though, for which we are thankful. I hope you have a great weekend!
The heat has hit us, this week has been terrible. I love begin out on my porch but the heat stopped me. We had rain this morning and it is suppose to be a little cooler the next few days. I hate to see all the flowers , grasses, trees and my cucumbers plants suffer, but our spring was great. Julia, you have so much to deal with right now, please take care. Please let us know when baby gets here, so excited for you all. Better close and get busy doing something. Love to all.
Carolyn, reading your post reminded me of when we lived in San Antonio and the heat just wouldn’t break, even at night. We had a lovely neighborhood and I used to enjoy walking there, but during summer it was too hot to bear, and I got eaten up by bugs too. Speaking of which, I have at least 2 dozen mosquito bites on me – I was out way past dark recently chatting with my next door neighbor, and the bugs found me before I found them! We’ll keep you posted about Grady’s arrival. Have a great weekend!
Julia, thanks for the lovely picture of a perfect June day. I enjoy June, the mild sunny days with beautiful flowers every where.
Hi Merry, I’m so happy you like the photo. I love June too; the warmth is still new and mild enough to enjoy and the petunias haven’t gotten too leggy yet! Hope you are doing well. We are all OK; it’s a cloudy day here but that’s good too; when we get rain it makes for easier weeding 🙂 Hope you have a lovely weekend.
You probably have warmer weather than we do in the summer but here in Edmonton, July is our fairest month. When I was working, EVERYONE wanted July holidays. June is really rainy here and gardens come into their own in Mid July. I do enjoy the lilacs and Peonies in June though.
Yes, I imagine your July is more like our June, or maybe even our May. We get most of the rains in springtime, although it’s been rainy here lately. It’s nice how each month and season has its own charms. Hope you have a nice weekend!