Tag: Summer Solstice

#1515 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Bobbing, Serendipity1 Comment

04:20 on the Summer Solstice. All dressed up and somewhere to go.

The Bobbers have been swimming at sunrise and sunset on the Summer Solstice and the Winter Solstice for 5 years. Of the two,

the summer one is by far the most pleasurable. This morning we were just four bobbers but the sea was alive with the sounds of swimmers.

5 years ago we were doing this to celebrate building a water based friendship group during the Covid years.

Pandemic Pondering #453

Did we really expect to still be doing it 5 years later. Probably not. But wherever Bobbers are in the world we all try to swim on the Solstices.

For me it is a celebration of being alive and still kicking. A ritual of gratitude and celebration with friends,most of whom were strangers 5 years ago. The Silver Lining of a Pandemic that forced us all to pause, change direction, and do things differently.

The Naked Swimmers

Maybe the Bobbers need to rethink our dress code next year…

#638 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Serendipity, Stonehouse, Summer, Swimming2 Comments

Happy Solstice, 4:30 AM and the beach was quiet. Half an hour later and this whole beach was full of people who had had a fabulous early morning swim. Many of us will be back at 9:30 pm for the sunset swim. This was the warmest swim I have done since last summer.

Yesterday I hit peak procrastination. I had a painting to finish for an August exhibition I had every intention of spending the day on it but somehow was sidetracked by a painting that has waited nearly 10 years to be finished. The painting was for a specific place in the actual Old Mortuary, It was painted to hang in the stairwell and was not quite finished when our lovely builders hung it before I had put the finishing touches. It was in such an awkward place I never bothered to take it down to finish. Then we moved house and it found a new home. All the time hanging quite happily in its non finished state. I have no idea why yesterday became the day it was finished. I just whipped it off the wall and set about finishing it. Procrastination at its finest.

Pandemic Pondering #453

On By theoldmortuary.designIn BobbingLeave a comment

Solstice swim part one, we got up at 4am to swim at sunrise for the summer solstice. A second swim tonight will mark the end of the longest day.

The torch in a dry bag was the closest we got to seeing actual sunlight. The longest day crept in under the cover of rain and clouds, let’s hope sunset is a little more photogenic.

Pandemic Pondering #94

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Serendipity3 Comments

Northern hemisphere Summer Solstice 2020 and in Britain Stonehenge is all closed up and guarded by security.

Gathering in numbers is still illegal, although on our evening walk there were larger gatherings,than permitted, out and about but pretty nasty rain would have dispersed them. So the longest day will still pass without being marked in a communal way.

Trawling the archive seemed the right way to mark a solstice like no other.

For interest sake I researched the days either side of the solstice.

Without too much trouble it was easy to see some themes and maybe a little bit of Midsummer Madness.

1. People

Today @theoldmortuary spent time with our daughter and granddaughter.

In past years we’ve spent time with Brenda our mother-in-law. Who in this picture was captured by a sunbeam. We will also see her again today, who knows if she will bring the sunbeam again.

Breakfast in Southampton with Uncle Mohammed and Aunty Margaret who live in Canada but were passing through.

2. My fascination with street signs.

3. A fascination with stairs.

4. Flowers

5. Aberdeen , Hong Kong

6. Cups

7. Dogs , ending with a sunset on the longest day.