Happy Solstice!

Midsummer, the longest day of the year, the first day of summer - isn't it beautiful? We get nearly seventeen hours of daylight here in San Francisco today! You can find out the time of the sunrise and sunset where you live on this website. I celebrated by waking up early to watch the sun rise from the Golden Gate Bridge.

Before sunrise...


The bridge was nearly empty of cars.


You can see downtown here.


The small, pale moon was setting in the west between the bridge cables as the sun rose.


The sun appeared above the hills of the East Bay around 5:48 am.


After the sun had risen.


Driving around the empty streets and walking in the gentle morning air made me think of that scene in the movie adaptation of Tuck Everlasting where Jesse Tuck wakes Winnie up early to go out in the woods "while the day is still ours."

I understand what he meant. The streets and sky really felt like they belonged to me, so empty and wide and lovely. I went out on my bike a little while after we got back, and I didn't have to use my brakes at all because there were almost no cars; I just ripped down the hills and through all the intersections. Gorgeous. :) Perhaps I will get into the habit of waking up early more often!

P.S. Oh, and it's also the Day of the Finnish Flag! Go Finns!



P.P.S. Watch out for fairy mischief tonight.