Summer began today.
After an unconscionably wet spring, the Sun rose to a clear sky and estival forecasts.
Of course, when I say summer began, I am offering an observation, not a proclamation. Alas that was not the case, when two weeks ago, the news media (CBC and others) offered pap about the “official” start of summer.
Official? What official ever proclaimed such a thing? None!
It is an interesting question as to why so many people in the news media insert the gratuitous word, official, when discussing seasonal changes? In most cases where something actually is official—Canada is a country; the speed limit is 80 km/hr—no one bothers to use the word, official. It seems that official is only used when it is needed to bolster a silly claim.
Let us imagine that a minor official in some foreign land did proclaim that an astronomical marker produces a globally fixed date for a shift in the weather. Wouldn’t the rest of us merely treat it the same way King Cnut treated the silliness of his courtiers? Those sycophants claimed he was powerful enough to command the tides. Cnut’s response was that this was demonstrably untrue. Yet, the demonstrable silliness of summer officially beginning on the solstice persists in the news media—a millenium later, Cnut’s courtiers live on. I am sure with the next astronomical marker we will be told about the official start of fall. Sigh….
Summer begins when it begins. It has no beginning fixed by any official; besides, weather doesn’t listen to officials. Today, without the help of any official, summer began.
This was dawn on the Lake yesterday: rain, wind, and waves.
This was dawn on the Lake today: merganser chicks rushed to greet the arriving summer.
Summer begins
Summer began today.
After an unconscionably wet spring, the Sun rose to a clear sky and estival forecasts.
Of course, when I say summer began, I am offering an observation, not a proclamation. Alas that was not the case, when two weeks ago, the news media (CBC and others) offered pap about the “official” start of summer.
Official? What official ever proclaimed such a thing? None!
It is an interesting question as to why so many people in the news media insert the gratuitous word, official, when discussing seasonal changes? In most cases where something actually is official—Canada is a country; the speed limit is 80 km/hr—no one bothers to use the word, official. It seems that official is only used when it is needed to bolster a silly claim.
Let us imagine that a minor official in some foreign land did proclaim that an astronomical marker produces a globally fixed date for a shift in the weather. Wouldn’t the rest of us merely treat it the same way King Cnut treated the silliness of his courtiers? Those sycophants claimed he was powerful enough to command the tides. Cnut’s response was that this was demonstrably untrue. Yet, the demonstrable silliness of summer officially beginning on the solstice persists in the news media—a millenium later, Cnut’s courtiers live on. I am sure with the next astronomical marker we will be told about the official start of fall. Sigh….
Summer begins when it begins. It has no beginning fixed by any official; besides, weather doesn’t listen to officials. Today, without the help of any official, summer began.
This was dawn on the Lake yesterday: rain, wind, and waves.
This was dawn on the Lake today: merganser chicks rushed to greet the arriving summer.
