The Solstice is about to dawn in the northern hemisphere, the year unspooling, flowers everywhere. My dahlias have begun blooming, well, some of them. In one section of the yard two scragglers have only begun to sprout up.

The Solstice marks the onset of summer and the longest day of the year. Onset is a word not much used, but it’s lovely and full or portend, isn’t it?  Here’s what the sky looked like tonight as I drove home, traveling mostly south. We have big, expressive skies in the Pacific Northwest. Sometimes it’s like looking up at a river of clouds overhead. Tonight it was moody, and as if heralding a new season. However, the landscape in this photo doesn’t represent my part of the world. Substitute the Cascade foothills and tall Douglas firs beneath the rolling clouds.

I hope the new season brings a sense of renewal and exciting writing plans. The world needs more writers, but you already know that.