h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

We are now a full week past the the shortest day of the year which means that for the next six month days are going to continue to get longer and warmer. Yes thats CONTINUE as days ARE already getting longer, the dawn chorus is earlier, and the proliferation of the much loved bumble bee are all tell tale signs that summer is approaching. If my memory recalls we will also get warmer days too in that thing that we call a summer.

Warmer days. Do you remember those? Days when you dont need coat to go to work and an umbrella tucked up in a corner of your bag. Its a time when people actually start smiling at each other as the sun makes people feel glad to be alive. Summer when people stop huddling together and all align themselves like an array of satalite dishes to the warming sun - faces lifted to the warming sun like windowsill sitting cats catching all the warmth they can.

Despite my possitive thinking summer still feels a long way off and I am hoping that people can remind me of the things that they enjoy about the summer or the run up to it. Please leave little reminders here of things that for you make things better. I will start things off with:

A good sign that summer is on the way is when the clocks go forward - and that is happenning this weekend

Hath
x

I suspect this might go under the heading of nitpicking but the shortest day of the year was at the winter soltice.

What we just experienced a week ago or whatever was the spring equinox, at least in the northern hemisphere, where, as the term implies, the day is equal to the night in length. Days have been getting longer since the winter soltice and will continue to do that until the summer soltice when the thing will reverse and the nights will start getting longer.

Daylight savings time tends to complicate this a little, or at least our perception of it, which suggests that in many ways we might be better off observing the stars through the smokehole instead of relying on clocks and calendars. At least we'd be more in touch with what the clocks and calendars are supposed to represent.

Just a few personal thoughts. Say hi to the bumblebees for me okay?

just as well you mentioned the annoying clock going forward thing blooming irritating that is! Changed my pc clock last time only to realise it did it automatically and ended up an hour wrong anyway

I only know its time for the clocks to go forward when the PC reminds me. I don't watch tv, read newspapers etc.. Last time it happened, I hadn't switched the PC on for about 2 days. Kept wondering why everyone seemed to be out of synch with me.

Good summer? Tomatoes get nice again. Pavements melt. Going to the mountains to get cool. Sounds of dogs in the streets at night - all sounds can be heard from further away. Wearing sandles again. Outdoor cafes on the side streets. Weekends when the city is deserted and we can wander in the road. Walking by night on the cobbled sreets in T-shirts. Pistachio, cherry, banana and walnut ice cream.

re 'Good Summer' - not in Scotland, just means the snow melts and becomes rain!

C'mon Mort... even Scotland has things that make summer better than winter surely..... What about... ... daffs, picnics in the park, putting the winter coat away... erm

There HAS to be something.

Outdoor coffee in The Grass Market sounds a pretty good way to spend a couple of summer hours to me.

Hath
x

yeah, there are a couple of weeks in july when we switch the central heating/gas fires off!
But then you have august with the edinburgh festival where the place is full of 1 million tourists and you cant get on a bus and everything (drinks etc) increase in price and...shall i go on? this is why i am a PUDDING member!

Oh my houseplants grow better but then again i need to remember to water them more often

But i do like to open my south facing living room window and sit on the sill (which is like a window seat) and drink a glass of cava

Still, i wouldnt want to risk losing my ivory complexion and get a tan the very thought of it ..a goth with a tan

The smell of tomatoes on the vine ripening - and tomatoes with real taste..... mmmmm I'm with you there Dr.

Think I can leave the melting pavements though -- although it sure is a sign thats summer here. One that I rarely see in fact

Hath
x

Hi Analiese no you are not nitpicking you are spot on and it was a foolish error I never should have made. I would correct it but then everything else falls to pieces

I think I am all for smokehole approach to time management it has a long history and a lot of ancient astronomy fascinates me. Kinda a cool option really. I dont think I could do it my backgarden however as the 'London Glow' is so abysmal that even when the sky is clear I can see very few stars. At the risk of harping on one of DNAs points. Isnt time an illusion? I am all in favour of being in touch with time but our lives are so far removed from nature that it seems littlw more than a romantic gesture to keep changing clocks. Cows being milked at dawn dont care if it is 5 or 6 it makes no difference. Do we need a get back to nature awareness day?

That said I am grateful that all bar two of my many clocks (car and mobile phone) automatically update themselves to show the correct time (Hurrah for technology).

I have just thought of another cheery sign of summer. Me in the garden in a reclining chair with a bottle of wine and binoculars star gazing. If I see any bees I will most certainly send them your regards!

Hath
x

Do you suppose anyone would notice if somebody went and changed all the timeservers so that everything was 11.3 hours off? I just chose that number at random by the way.

My clock is so out i certainly wouldn't.

Hath
x

Sure you'd notice, especially if it took five hours for the sun to rise.

..If there is a thing called nitpicking, this must be it! Regarding cows; being very much able to schedule a daily routine for themselves, most cow´s would be most displeased by having their dairy-session postpr. an hour. ..Ask my brother! Regarding clocks; due to electricity shortage, the (e-net based) clockworks in Rio de Janeiro has lost something like 11,3 hours, since 1.jan. .. But, HEEY! who cares? Summer is coming! Pretty soon we´ll have our own copacobanas, right here, at 56something degrees N ..