fairbanks – Page 3

February 13, 2021February 4, 2021

Snapshot Saturday: Bench

On today’s Snapshot Saturday, we have an exciting bench to show you. It’s a very special bench. I spent the Summer of 2019 in Fairbanks, AK. A friend of mine from middle school had bought an ice cream business and I helped get things rolling that first season. This is one of the many places people sat during their ice cream eating adventures. It looked so good with the pink background that I couldn’t resist taking a picture.

I had only had my Canon Rebel T7i camera for a few weeks and was still getting used to all the features. This was when I first bought my 75mm-300mm telephoto lens and was very happy with the shots I could get with it. This was a super fun day of photo taking. I think it would make a good postcard too. Check out some of my other snapshots on my Photography Page. I don’t currently have any prints for sale but if you’d like one, please don’t hesitate to ask.

June 20, 2020June 18, 2020

Summer Solstice: Blessed Litha

Today is the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. While some consider this the official beginning of Summer, others call it Midsummer because it’s when the Sun reaches its peak. Celebrations during the solstice are found in every country and believed to have been around since the Stone Age. Stonehenge in the UK aligns with the sunrise on the Summer Solstice and aligns with the sunset during the Winter Solstice. The Summer Solstice sunset falls between two of the pyramids of Giza near Cairo, Egypt. Christians celebrate the Feast of St. John the Baptist around the Summer Solstice.

Pagans, Druids, and Wiccans call the Summer Solstice Litha. And like many of the Midsummer celebrations, there are bonfires, feasts, and offerings. There is a great deal of mythology around Litha. I encourage everyone to read up on it if interested. Some of you may recall I spent last Summer in Fairbanks, AK. Being near the Arctic Circle, they have a celebration called the Midnight Sun Festival. The festival takes place at midnight and the sun is still shining. There is also a baseball game, the Midnight Sun Game. It starts at 10:30 pm and continues through midnight with no artificial lighting.

If you’ve never visited Alaska in the Summer, I recommend it. Until then, stoke up a fire, have a feast with friends, and I hope your Midsummer Night Dreams are pleasant ones. They may or may not involve fairies. If you’ve never seen Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, I also recommend this. Have a blessed Litha.