"Everyday we're told we live in the greatest country on earth and it's always stated as an undeniable fact: Leos are born between July 23 and August 22, fitted queen-size sheets measure 60x80 inches, and America is the greatest country on earth. Having grown up with this in our ears, it's startling to realize that other countries have nationalistic slogans too, none of which are 'We're number two!' "
--David Sedaris

Visited the Corning Museum of Glass today in Corning, New York. Here is a link to some pictures I took in the museum:

Drying their wings
by Vachel Lindsay

THE moon's a cottage with a door.
Some folks can see it plain.
Look, you may catch a glint of light,
A sparkle through the pane,
Showing the place is brighter still
Within, though bright without.
There, at a cosy open fire
Strange babes are grouped about.
The children of the wind and tide--
The urchins of the sky,
Drying their wings from storms and things
So they again can fly.

Perhaps this is a Fall poem, but I like it at any time of the year.

The Bracelet: To Julia
by Robert Herrick

Why I tie about thy wrist,
Julia, this silken twist;
For what other reason is 't
But to show thee how, in part,
Thou my pretty captive art?
But thy bond-slave is my heart:
'Tis but silk that bindeth thee,
Knap the thread and thou art free;
But 'tis otherwise with me:
— I am bound and fast bound, so
That from thee I cannot go;
If I could, I would not so.

The link below is David Passmore reading The Bracelet in a new Starbucks coffee shop in State College, Pennsylvania:

It almost is summer in the northern hemisphere. In 2005, summer begins June 21, 2:46 am Eastern Daylight Time. The summer solstice.

The word, solstice, comes from the Latin (sol, sun; sistit, stands). There is a summer and a winter solstice. For several days before and after each solstice, the sun appears to stand still in the sky—that is, its noon elevation does not seem to change. At the solstices the sun's apparent position on the celestial sphere reaches its greatest distance above or below the celestial equator, about 23 1/2° of arc. At the time of summer solstice, the sun is directly overhead at noon at the Tropic of Cancer. In the Northern Hemisphere the longest day occurs on this date, marking the beginning of summer. People around the world have observed spiritual and religious seasonal days of celebration during the month of June. Most celebrations have been religious holy days linked in some way to the summer solstice.