What a pleasure to have such warm weather and bright skies for the Summer Solstice. In the evening, Clare was out at her jewellery class. I just sat and savoured the blue evening skies, enjoying the changes in the sunlight bathing the street outside. The sun hit the horizon around 9.45pm, but it was another half an hour before it got dusk Then a closed the curtains and stupidly watched long film on telly.
After midnight I decided to go for a stroll to unwind a bit before sleep, walking as far as the end of Llanfair Road. There were still a few people and cars around. In the middle distance, among the trees that clothe the steep escarpment at the side of Cardiff Road, a small fire was alight, and the shadows of several people sitting around it were visible.
I wondered if they intended to keep vigil until the dawn of the shortest night. Were they chatting or chanting, telling stories, contemplating the flames, or merely drinking the night away? Or a mixture of all these things. It's an ancient seasonal rite of passage, no matter who performs it, or for whatever reason. I just hope they tidied their fire away when they left, and took their empties with them.
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