We’re up north for these last few days of Erin’s Michigan visit, so I decided to welcome the summer solstice in style . . . down at the lake, watching the sunrise.
I grabbed my coffee and headed down to the lake just before 6:00 am — sunrise was at 6:01 am here this morning, so it wasn’t dark, exactly. But it usually takes the sun another 20 minutes or so after its official rise before it makes it over the treeline at the lake, and that’s what I really wanted to see. So I sat and I sipped and I waited.
It was so peaceful out there this morning. The fish were rising. The dragonflies were buzzing around. I could hear crickets and frogs and birds. The water was still . . . like a mirror. There wasn’t a fishing boat or kayak in sight.
And then . . . there it was!
The sun.
Peeking over the trees on this solstice morning!
It was a glorious way to welcome the solstice!
5 stars!
Highly recommend!
Wondering what my “soundtrack” was this morning?
(Because it was pretty amazing!)
Check this out . . .
These are screenshots of sound recordings I made of the birds this morning at various time intervals. If you haven’t tried the totally free and completely fabulous Merlin app to sound-identify the birds around you yet, I highly recommend it. (I’ve been meaning to do an actual blog post about how we use Merlin to identify birds wherever we go . . . but I haven’t gotten around to it yet.)
Anyway.
Happy summer solstice, everyone.
Good day sunshine!
“May love surround you like sunshine on a sunny day.”
— William Shakespeare
Thank you for sharing your lovely Solstice sunrise and the note about the Merlin app! I listen to our wren all day (I imagine her as a proud mother telling everyone she has raised her second brood this year) and a lonely robin. I think he might be singing to attract a female but it doesn’t seem to be working so far.
P.S. It seems like Erin just arrived!
What a glorious way to welcome the day – especially the Solstice. Gorgeous!! I need to check out that Merlin app. We heard so many birds the other day on our walk along the canal. We also hear so many varied birds in our backyard. Many we know, but the app would help. Enjoy your remaining time with Erin!!
Happy Solstice, Kym! What a beautiful post to welcome it in.
Elsa and I started our morning with Merlin, too :). It’s funny, our cottage is only a few miles from our house. Like, a 6-min drive. But so many different birds! I look forward to your Merlin post. (I just use it to ID what I’m hearing. I’m sure I have loads to learn.)
Enjoy your days there together!
I’ve been thinking of you today, and how this is the start of your fave season. I hope it treats you well!
The Merlin app is so great. I know some of the people who worked on it, and when it was ready, they were over the moon.
What a lovely way to welcome the day. I need to return to coffee on the deck. And that Merlin app is something else to explore.
What a perfect start to the day, Kym! (and what an awesome bunch of choristers serenading the sunrise for you!!)
What a perfect way to welcome the solstice! Our sunrise this morning was at 5:08am, I can’t believe it’s almost a full hour before yours! On Friday morning I will be watching the sunrise over the Atlantic ocean, but I won’t be drinking coffee as I’ll be heading back to bed. Happy Solstice!
What a peaceful way to welcome summer. So nice.
I’ve been meaning to follow-up to let you know that the “used car lot” banners are working to keep the Pennsylvanian deer out of my garden! Thank you so much for the info. This is the first time in 2 years that my garden hasn’t been decimated by them. Yay! Thanks again!
I’ve always thought the most amazing place to see the sun rise on the summer solstice would be Stonehenge, but this looks pretty darn spectacular (and certainly more comfortable)! I love the Merlin app and use it a lot, but I never get quite as many birds as you heard. Enjoy your last few days with Erin and the time up north!
Happy soltice! It gets bright here at 5am so I didn’t join you for sunrise.
What a beautiful start to the summer solstice day. I just love it when a lake is absolutely completely still. Enjoy your lake days with Erin.
Looks like an amazing way to start the day! And I love Merlin. I feel like I should get a commission from them – I tell everyone about it! Love it!
simply glorious, Kym – thank you for sharing! (we haven’t seen the sun here since yesterday morning, but I know it’s there – shining behind all the rain clouds.)
What a beautiful way to start ANY day, let alone the solstice. Will have to tell our friend, an ardent birder, about the Merlin app.
An AVID birder is what I meant.
I love Merlin. I rarely SEE the birds that are making sounds in my yard. I am amazed by the ones I have never seen. It is a GREAT app.
Your sunrise rated a 10/10 for me! Enjoy those last few days with Erin.
What a lovely morning, Kym!! Thank you so much for mentioning the Merlin app… downloading as we speak and I can’t wait to get home today!!
How lovely!!
Mylo and I are out for our walk just around the dawn chorus time. I feel so blessed to be one of the only people on the trail and hear all that singing just for ME!