The "Baseball Games That Aren't Called By Darkness" Story

Late evening sunset in Lancaster County

It was an ordinary day.  That was until a second after midnight last evening when the Summer solstice began.  Today is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere which means that Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where this story is being posted today, will have more daylight than any other day of the year.  The length of daytime depends on how close we are to the North Pole, which receives 24 hours of sunlight today, and the Equator, which receives less than 14 hours of sunlight today.  During the summer solstice, Lancaster will see anywhere from 15 to 15.5 hours of sunlight according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric  Administration, also known as NOAA.  Sunset in Lancaster tonight will be sometime between 8:30 to 9:00 pm.  That will allow my grandson's baseball game to go the full 7 innings tonight if they can't 10 run their opponent in 5 innings.  Also will allow Carol and I a few more minutes of daylight to wait in line at Dairy Queen for a Blizzard (ice cream treat) after the game.  Today is known as not only Summer solstice, but Midsummer.  Summer solstice takes place twice a year, once in the Northern hemisphere (between June 20 and June 22) and once in the Southern Hemisphere (between December 20 and 22).  According to wikipedia, seasons start at solstices and equinoxes.  

The word Solstice is derived from the Latin word "Sol" meaning Sun and "Sistere" meaning stationary or stand still.  Believe it or not, I actually remembered that from the two years of Latin I took in high school.  About the only thing I remember from Latin class except for the short, little teacher, Mrs. Murray, who we all loved.  Today the sun will remain in Lancaster for the longest time of the year before it sets.  Today also is the turning point in the year while people around the globe celebrate this day in different ways.  Some celebrate with bonfires, burning effigies as well as with newer ways like yoga, musical shows, dances, picnics and even baseball games.  Oh, by the way, my wife baked a few dozen Snickerdoodle cookies for our grandson Caden to share with his teammates after the game.  The extra time will allow them to eat the cookies before it gets dark.  The next special event will be Autumnal, or fall Equinox which happens in late September.  That is the moment in Lancaster when the Sun's rays are shining down over the equator and our days and nights are approximately equal in length.  And, our grandson's fall baseball team will have to speed up the game to get the entire game in before it gets too dark to see the ball.  For those living in the Northern Hemisphere, enjoy your day tomorrow, and maybe end it with an ice cream treat like my wife and I will do.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.