Sunday, June 21, 2015

21 Days Until Summer Cartoon Countdown: Day 21

It's Day 21 of the Cartoon Countdown! It's finally here! The real, actual start of Summer! Let there be fireworks in celebration! Especially, because in 2008 Nico and Jeremiah got married so today is their Anniversary! YAY! Happy Anniversary!!! Happy Summer! Happy Solstice!
First off, today's cartoon. John is always saying now the summer is half over because the days start getting shorter, like a half- empty spilled glass of cold water on what should be the beginning of my half-full to full and over flowing with summer appreciation glass. Anyway:
 
















And in celebration of N & J's Anniversary:

 

And now a couple of my Summer Six Chix strips


















And, finally, from Mental Floss, 15 Things You Probably Didn't know About the Solstice:
1. This year it’s June 21. The summer solstice always occurs between June 20 and June 22, but because the calendar doesn’t exactly reflect the earth’s rotation, the precise time shifts slightly each year. This year, the sun will reach its greatest height in the sky for the Northern Hemisphere on June 21 at 12:38 P.M.
2. The sun will be directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer. While the entire Northern Hemisphere will see its longest day of the year on the summer solstice, the sun is only directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer (23 degrees 27 minutes north latitude).
3. The name comes from the fact that the sun appears to stand still. The term “solstice” is derived from the Latin words sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), because the sun’s relative position in the sky at noon does not appear to change much during the solstice and its surrounding days. The rest of the year, the Earth’s tilt on its axis—roughly 23.5 degrees—causes the sun’s path in the sky to rise and fall from one day to the next.
4. The world’s biggest bonfire was part of a solstice celebration. Celebrations have been held in conjunction with the solstice in cultures around the world for hundreds of years. Among these is Sankthans, or “Midsummer,” which is celebrated on June 24 in Scandinavian countries. In 2010, the people of Alesund, Norway, set a world record for the tallest bonfire with their 40.45-meter (132.71-foot) celebratory bonfire.
5. The hot weather follows the sun by a few weeks. You may wonder why, if the solstice is the longest day of the year—and thus gets the most sunlight—the temperature usually doesn’t reach its annual peak until a month or two later. It’s because water, which makes up most of the Earth’s surface, has a high specific heat, meaning it takes a while to both heat up and cool down. Because of this, the Earth’s temperature takes about six weeks to catch up to the sun.
6. Thousands of people gather at Stonehenge to celebrate. People have long believed that Stonehenge was the site of ancient druid solstice celebrations because of the way the sun lines up with the stones on the winter and summer solstices. While there’s no proven connection between Celtic solstice celebrations and Stonehenge, these days, thousands of modern pagans gather at the landmark to watch the sunrise on the solstice. Last year, 37,000 people attended.
7. The Pagans celebrate the solstice with symbols of fire and water. In Paganism and Wicca, Midsummer is celebrated with a festival known as Litha. In ancient Europe, the festival involved rolling giant wheels lit on fire into bodies of water to symbolize the balance between fire and water.
8. In Ancient Egypt, the solstice heralded the new year. In Ancient Egypt, the summer solstice preceded the appearance of the Sirius star, which the Egyptians believed was responsible for the annual flooding of the Nile that they relied upon for agriculture. Because of this, the Egyptian calendar was set so that the start of the year coincided with the appearance of Sirius, just after the solstice.
9. The ancient Chinese honored the yin on the solstice. In ancient China, the summer solstice was the yin to the winter solstice’s yang—literally. Throughout the year, the Chinese believed, the powers of yin and yang waxed and waned in reverse proportion to each other. At the summer solstice, the influence of yang was at its height, but the celebration centered on the impending switch to yin. At the winter solstice, the opposite switch was honored.
10. In Alaska, the solstice is celebrated with a midnight baseball game. Each year on the summer solstice, the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks celebrate their status as the most northerly baseball team on the planet with a game that starts at 10:30 and stretches well into the following morning—without the need of artificial light—known as the Midnight Sun Game. The tradition originated in 1906 and was taken over by the Goldpanners in their first year of existence, 1960.
11. The Earth is actually at its farthest from the sun during the solstice. You might think that because the solstice occurs in summer that it means the Earth is closest to the sun in its elliptical revolution. However, the Earth is actually closest to the sun when the Northern Hemisphere experiences winter and is farthest away during the summer solstice. The warmth of summer comes exclusively from the tilt of the Earth’s axis, and not from how close it is to the sun at any given time.
12. Ironically, the solstice marks a dark time in science history. Legend has it that it was on the summer solstice in 1633 that Galileo recanted his declaration that the Earth revolves around the sun, and not the other way around.
13. An alternative calendar had an extra month named after the solstice. In 1902, a British railway system employee named Moses B. Cotsworth attempted to institute a new calendar system that would standardize the months into even four-week segments. To do so, he needed to add an extra month to the year. The additional month was inserted between June and July and named Sol because the summer solstice would always fall during this time. Despite Cotsworth’s traveling campaign to promote his new calendar, it failed to catch on.
14. In Ancient Greece, the solstice festival marked a time of social equality. The Greek festival of Kronia, which honored Cronus, the god of agriculture, coincided with the solstice. The festival was distinguished from other annual feasts and celebrations in that both slaves and freemen participated in the festivities as equals.
15. Ancient Rome honored the goddess Vesta on the solstice. In Rome, midsummer coincided with the festival of Vestalia, which honored Vesta, the Roman goddess who guarded virginity and was considered the patron of the domestic sphere. On the first day of this festival, married women were allowed to enter the temple of the Vestal virgins, from which they were barred the rest of the year.
Happy Summer Everyone!!!!

Saturday, June 20, 2015

21 Days Until Summer Cartoon Countdown: Day 20

It's Day 20 of the Cartoon Countdown! Sometimes you need to read the fine print on those seed packages!



Friday, June 19, 2015

21 Days Until Summer Cartoon Countdown: Day 19

Can you believe it is already Day 19 of the Cartoon Countdown? Me, either! And, it is rainy and cold again. Well, not here in Cartoonland:

Thursday, June 18, 2015

21 Days Until Summer Cartoon Countdown: Day 18


Day 18 in the Cartoon Countdown! A garden is a big responsibility. Especially an organic one. All the bugs in the neighborhood send the word out "No pesticides hers, guys!". Then, too, any garden needs watering.




Wednesday, June 17, 2015

21 Days Until Summer Cartoon Countdown: Day 17


Day 17 of the Cartoon Countdown. Ah! Nature! It's great...except for all the bite-y, sting-y things out there and the mysterious entities eating all our sprouting turnips, swiss chard etc. Not the larger plants...just the sprouting ones!!!

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

21 Days Until Summer Cartoon Countdown: Day 16

Day 16 of the Cartoon Countdown. This seems to me a sensible goal to set for oneself for the summer!

Monday, June 15, 2015

21 Days Until Summer Cartoon Countdown: Day 15

It's day 15 in the Cartoon Countdown... and the weather in NH once again wants to be anything BUT summery! 50 degrees, rainy and cold!!!BRRRRRRRRR! Anyway, here's the cartoon:

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Saturday, June 13, 2015

21 Days Until Summer Cartoon Countdown: Day 13

Day 13 in the Cartoon Countdown. Every year we get some weird new kind of weed.

Friday, June 12, 2015

Thursday, June 11, 2015

21 Days Until Summer Cartoon Countdown: Day 11

It's day 11 in the Cartoon Countdown! Another end of the school year cartoon!

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

21 Days Until Summer Cartoon Countdown: Day 10

having an organic garden is a wonderful way to have the best fruit and veggies... unless all the bugs get to them first. There are ways to manage pest control organically. Here's one possible method you can use:

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Monday, June 8, 2015

21 Days Until Summer Cartoon Countdown: Day 8

Here it is Day 8, already! And the weather is gray and chilly. But not here in cartoonland! I can make the weather any way I want it!

Sunday, June 7, 2015

21 Days Until Summer Cartoon Countdown: Day 7

It's graduation time. Time to move on to adulthood and all that encompasses... including paying that great education off for the next 30 years!

Saturday, June 6, 2015

21 Days Until Summer Cartoon Countdown: Day 6

Another in the series of end of school cartoons.

Friday, June 5, 2015

21 Days Until Summer Cartoon Countdown: Day 5

Here is another end of the school year, lead up to summer vacation cartoons!

Thursday, June 4, 2015

21 Days Until Summer Cartoon Countdown: Day 4

The weather here in NH has improved! We have sun. And all that rain was fabulous for the garden. And perhaps drowned the grasshoppers or whatever has been eating my Swiss chard, kale, spinach etc. Replanting yet, again. Now, here is the cartoon for Day 4 of the Cartoon Countdown!
 
* Funny, I did this cartoon in 2007. Kids today would be tethered to their iphones!

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

21 Days Until Summer Cartoon Countdown: Day 3

The sun is back! Can we make it to the 21st with actual warm weather? We shall see! Meanwhile, here's a cartoon for those planning vacations:

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

21 Days Until Summer Cartoon Countdown: Day 2

You would hardly know it's summer, here, in NH, well, late spring... or June, anyway, what with all the rain and low temps in the 40s. But I will continue with the cartoon countdown despite the rain and cold! Here is cartoon # 2, leading up to the end of school and the start of summer vacation!

Monday, June 1, 2015

21 Days Until Summer Cartoon Countdown: Day 1

I do love Summer! We, here, in NH, wait all year and through all those looong, horrible snow filled months until warm weather finally gets here. As you will see, over the years, I've commemorated the advent of summer with many summer based cartoons. Today is June 1st... so, what better way to count the days until June 21, the first official day of summer, than with a cartoon a day countdown (even though it is only in the 50s today!!!)
I also love drawing school cartoons. Several of the cartoons over the next few days will celebrate the lead up to summer vacation for kids and teachers! Here is the first one.