Hello Folks,

Aunt Eunice here. I hope you are all doing well. Monroe County, PA, where Quiet Valley is located, has reached the Yellow Phase of the quarantine. We all hope nothing interferes with our progress to the Green Phase. One step at a time.

Adapting Our Programs to Current Guidelines

Now that June is here, our thoughts at Quiet Valley generally turn toward our summer tour season. That is going to be different this year as gatherings like this are not able to happen quite yet. Fortunately, we will be able to hold our camp groups for ages 6 through 14, with a limit of ten students per camp. Camps in each age group will have a different focus though all will be fun and the activities interesting. Part of the good times will involve the farm animals, heritage crafts, and hikes through the 114 acres of the farm. If we move into the Green Phase, modified historic farm tours will begin. We will be live streaming the sheep shearing that will take place on Saturday June 20th. If you have never seen it before, it is an interesting process. Stay tuned!

Summer Solstice, Longest Day of Sun

June is also a time to celebrate the longest day of sunlight during the year, the Summer Solstice. In 2020, the Summer Solstice is Saturday, June 20, at 5:44 pm EDT. This date marks the official beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring when Earth arrives at the point in its orbit where the North Pole is at its maximum tilt (about 23.5 degrees) toward the Sun, resulting in the longest day and shortest night of the calendar year (by longest “day,” we mean the longest period of sunlight). At the June solstice, the Northern Hemisphere receives sunlight at the most direct angle of the year. The first day of summer is said to be when the Sun reaches its highest point in the sky, which occurs on the summer solstice (June 20–22). Therefore, the summer solstice is considered to be the first day of summer, astronomically speaking. The summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere ranges in date from June 20 to 22. This occurs in part because of the difference between the Gregorian calendar system, which normally has 365 days, and the tropical year (how long it takes Earth to orbit the Sun once), which has about 365.242199 days. To compensate for the missing fraction of days, the Gregorian calendar adds a leap day every 4 years, which makes the date for summer jump backward. However, the date also changes because of other influences, such as the gravitational pull from the Moon and planets, as well as the slight wobble in Earth’s rotation. Visit almanac.com for more info.

Father’s Day, Purpose & History

Another special day is June 21st, Father’s Day. Oftentimes, this holiday is celebrated with a cookout in honor of the patriarch of the family. Dads work hard to take care of their loved ones, teach manly skills like throwing a baseball, changing the oil in your car, mowing the lawn, grilling a perfect steak, and so much more. Long gone are the days only father and son learned these skills together. Fathers and daughters also bond over many of the same learning experiences. If your father is still around, make sure he knows how much he means to you.

According to Britannica.com, Father’s Day in the United States is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. Credit for originating the holiday is generally given to Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, whose father, a Civil War veteran, raised her and her five siblings after their mother died in childbirth. She is said to have had the idea in 1909 while listening to a sermon on Mother’s Day, which at the time was becoming established as a holiday. Local religious leaders supported the idea, and the first Father’s Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910, the month of the birthday of Dodd’s father. In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge gave his support to the observance, and in 1966 President Lyndon B. Johnson officially proclaimed it a national holiday. Observance on the third Sunday of June was decreed by law in 1972.

As the summer season gets ready to kick off, remember social distancing is still very important. Keep wearing masks when out and about and wash hands regularly. We are all tired of it all, but it will truly help us get past this pandemic. Well, that’s all for now. Take care and stay safe. Aunt Eunice