At 4:51 MDT this morning, the sun
reached its annual northern zenith at the Tropic of Cancer. Of course, there is
no reaching on the part of the sun, but it seems so from on the ground within
the territory of gravity. I woke up about 20 minutes after the actual moment of
the solstice, but before the sun rose here. The double orbit of earth, spinning
large and small at once is hard to grasp. I understand it in my head, but when
it comes to realizing it in space and time it is different. What I can easily
understand is being fully awake at 5:40 with a complete circle of sun just
above the horizon, no clouds to speak of, and knowing I have the longest day of
the year ahead of me.
