Why Is It Hot In The Summer?—What Lessons Can We Draw From The Heat Of Summer?

Today is the first day of summer.

(Above–Summer. Photo by Kwanesum) 

Why does it get hot in the summer and colder in the winter?

Here is why from the Library of Congress—

“It is all about the tilt of the Earth’s axis. Many people believe that the temperature changes because the Earth is closer to the sun in summer and farther from the sun in winter. In fact, the Earth is farthest from the sun in July and is closest to the sun in January! The Earth’s movement around the sun causes the seasons, but it does not affect the temperatures during the seasons. During the summer, the sun’s rays hit the Earth at a steep angle. The light does not spread out as much, thus increasing the amount of energy hitting any given spot. Also, the long daylight hours allow the Earth plenty of time to reach warm temperatures. During the winter, the sun’s rays hit the Earth at a shallow angle. These rays are more spread out, which minimizes the amount of energy that hits any given spot. Also, the long nights and short days prevent the Earth from warming up. Thus, we have winter!”

It is interesting to note that summer is hot not because the Earth moves towards the sun, but because the rays of the sun are more focused in summer and because longer days allow more time for heat to build up.

An analogy can be drawn here in favor of the importance of focus and hard work needed to accomplish important tasks in life.

Also shown by this example is that relationships can be maintained against the obstacle of distance if we apply effort and time to keeping them strong.

When it is hot, think of why it is hot and get to work on the things that matter most to you in life.

(Below–The seasons come and go. Drawing by Tau’olunga.)

1896 Painting Of Alley In San Francisco’s Chinatown

Above is a painting of an alley in San Francisco’s Chinatown. The painting is from 1896. The artist  was a C.P. Nelson.

The painting is taken from an online exhibit called The Chinese in California 1850-1925. Please click here to see the exhibit.

The Chinese in California of that time were not treated so well.

The link is part of the excellent American Memory Project of the Library of Congress.  It is well worth the time to explore the full site.

A good book to read about the history of the various ethnic groups that helped make our nation is A Different Mirror–A History of Multicultural America by Ronald Takaki.

Here is the link for visiting Chinatown in San Francisco in the present day.

Pictures Of Old Time North Dakota—North Dakota Facts

Above is a picture of a peddler in North Dakota. The picture was taken in the first decade of the 20th Century.

The picture is from the American Memory Project of the Library of Congress.

Here is how the picture is described— 

Man by horse-drawn buggy displaying photographs to woman. Displayed on ground, on buggy and on horse are mounted photographs. Behind is a tar-paper house. In back of buggy is an open wood chest with the initials “J.V.H.” on side.

The photo may have been taken by a Job. V. Harrison of Rock lake, North Dakota.

Please click here for all the information available about this picture. 

The picture comes from a larger set of photos about the Northern Great Plains between 1880 and 1920.   

The collection is offered by the Institute for Regional Studies at the North Dakota State University.

Here is a link for Rock Lake, North Dakota.  Rock Lake is a small town that has a lake and is near the Canadian border.

Here is the State Historical Society of North Dakota.

Here are some basic facts about today’s North Dakota–

Area, 70,665 sq mi (183,022 sq km). Pop. (2000) 642,200, a 0.5% increase from 1990 pop. Capital, Bismarck. Largest city, Fargo. Statehood, Nov. 2, 1889 (39th state), simultaneously with South Dakota. Highest pt., White Butte, 3,506 ft (1,069 m); lowest pt., Red River, 750 ft (229 m). Nicknames,Sioux State; Flickertail State. Motto, Liberty and Union, Now and Forever, One and Inseparable. State bird, Western meadowlark. State flower, wild prairie rose. State tree, American elm. Abbr.,N.Dak.; ND

Here is a link to a post I made earlier this year about President Obama’s policy for rural America.

Here is a link to a history of North Dakota. If you go this link you will find a lot easily accessible information about North Dakota. 

I have never visited North Dakota. I hope I will get the chance to do so some day. There are many different places to live and ways to live. I wish I knew more about things other than where and how I live. 

North Dakota seems so out of the way. Not out of the way to the people who live there. But just out of the way to anywhere I have visited or feel that I am likely to visit. Still–Someday I feel I’ll make it to North Dakota. I never thought I’d see Wyoming and I went there once. You never know where life will take you.  

Below is another picture of old time North Dakota. The picture was taken between 1900 and 1909. 

Here is how the picture is described—

Four women out of doors by log cabin. Two are seated at a table set with teapots and dishes. An elderly woman is standing behind them with a tin or a box in her hands. Another woman is standing to one side of the picture. Trees, a garden, and a rock pile are visible. A barrel, a bucket, and a wash tub are against the cabin. Likely taken in North Dakota.

Lady Fishing In D.C. Tidal Basin—1957

Above is a person fishing in the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C.,  in 1957.

Here is the current fishing forecast for the D.C .Tidal Basin.

Here are facts about the Tidal Basin. 

The picture is from the American Memory series of the Library of Congress.

The picture was taken by Toni Frissell. She took many pictures and is worth your further review.

About Ms. Frissell—

“Toni Frissell (1907-1988) …a photojournalist and fashion photographer..She demonstrated ..versatility.. in her work as a staff photographer for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Sports Illustrated and in her publication of several photographically illustrated books, ranging from A Child’s Garden of Verses (1944) to The King Ranch, 1939-1944 (1975).

Frissell is perhaps best known for her pioneering fashion photography and her informal portraits of the famous and powerful in the United States and Europe, including Winston Churchill, Eleanor Roosevelt, and John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy. She is noted for taking fashion photography out of the studio into the outdoors, thus placing an accent on the active woman. She is also known for the imaginative angles, both physical and metaphorical, from which she covered her subjects.”

Fish Vendor—Augusta, Georgia 1903

Above is a picture of a fish vendor in Augusta, Georgia in 1903.

The picture is taken from the American Memory project of the Library of Congress.

Christmas Tree Over Bar Entrance—Philadelphia 1938

Above is a photo of a Christmas tree over a bar entrance. The photo was taken on Market Street in Philadelphia in 1938 by Paul Vanderbilt.

I found the photo on the Library of Congress American memory web page.

Here are some photos of Market Street in the current day.

Here is a history of Market Street in olden days .  Here is more information on Market Street.   

Below the tree you see an advertisement for Guckenheimer Whiskey. Here is information on the Guckenheimer distillery and brand. It is an informative link.

Giant Fly Outwitted By Community Sanitation

The above poster is from an exhibition of New Deal era Works Progress Administration posters on the web page of the American Memory Project at the Library of Congress.  

Here is a history of the Works Progress Administration.

Photo Of Rainy Day In World War II Era Houston

The above photo is of a rainy day in Downtown Houston.

The picture was taken by John Vachon in 1943.  

The picture is part of American Memory collection from the Library of Congress. 

This specific photo is from a collection of documentary pictures taken by government photographers in the Roosevelt years.

The days come and go. People have their lives.  People come and go. 

Poem–Library Of Congress

Here is a short poem I wrote after visiting the Library of Congress a few years back—

In the main reading room

Of the Library of Congress

Tourists gawk

At the magnificent architecture

And at the odd sight

Of people reading books.

Here are other Texas Liberal poetry posts.