Summer solstice today

Happy summer solstice, everyone.

Today is the first day of summer and also the longest day of the year, so be sure to make the most of your fraction of a second. I think I already blew mine in a very un-gardener-like way, cleaning up an entire cup of coffee spilled on my floor and walls this morning as I got ready for work. You might want to pull some weeds, water the potted plants or check the tomato and potato plants for the presence of late blight, which, unfortunately, has made an appearance on Long Island that was confirmed Saturday. More on that later today.

O.K., so we don't actually have more time. The day is still 24 hours long. But the day-night ratio leans in favor of daylight today. This has everything to do with the way the earth is tilted on its axis and pointing more toward the sun than on any other day.