Some Sunshine Facts For You...!

Because it's been so hot as of late, I thought I would share some surprising facts about our marvelous sun!

As usual, I went to the Old Farmer's Almanac for these facts. Thanks, Almanac folks!

Did you know:

• In summer, Earth travels to its farthest point from the Sun. So, why does summer bring the warmest months for the Northern Hemisphere? Because warmth is determined by the tilt of Earth’s axis, which lets rays of sunlight hit our hemisphere more directly.

• Though we receive the most direct and longest sunlight now, the hottest days of summer aren’t typically until July or August. Why? Because it takes the oceans and Earth a while to warm up from the wintertime, so we have a “lag” of the seasons.

Even without the seasons, changes in the Sun affect Earth. We expect higher levels of solar activity in the next few years. This influences us all since 21st-century life relies more on satellites and high-tech infrastructure.

So just what does all this mean? It means that it's HOT! And it's gonna get hotter...that goes without saying!

I'm kinda dreading the Summer here in the Texas coastal area, and am NOT looking forward to the first hurricane!

Now how about some coffee on the patio? I promise we can sit in the shade, at least for now.