They are making hay silage across the road. I tell my daughters it is a marshmallow farm and even though they don’t believe me, I know it sets their imagination running. As I watch tour neighbors mow and rake and bale, the phrase “make hay while the sun shines'“ runs through my mind like ticker tape. This idiom has been circulating since Medieval times. Like farmers of old, they are quite literally making hay across the road during a short, precious break in the June rain. However, this expression has generally come to mean “to make good use of an opportunity while it lasts.”
This week across the northern hemisphere we have entered summer. The summer solstice, the longest day of the year, is today. June 20th. In the US, we are also entering a week of unprecedented high temperatures. According to the AP News, a record-breaking heat wave will affect midwestern and northeastern parts of the country. This graphic of potential heat exposure from NOAA is helpful:
The extreme heat alert spans several states and many places, like Chicago. “Chicago broke a 1957 temperature record Monday with a high of 97 degrees Fahrenheit (36.1 degrees Celsius). Hot and muggy conditions will continue this week with peak heat indexes near 100 F (37.7 C) at times, the National Weather Service in Chicago said in a post on the social platform X.”
The article also mentions that “A recent study found that climate change is making heat waves move more slowly and affect more people for a longer time. Last year, the U.S. saw the most heat waves — abnormally hot weather lasting more than two days — since 1936.”
In Washington State, we are finally seeing some sunny and warm days. I feel a twinge of guilt for our mild—trending towards warm—weather this week and I can’t help but apply this expression “make hay while the sun shines” to climate change.
How are we making good use of our opportunity to curb this warming trend?
I recently finished the series The Crown which I started during Covid times. I think this show is well-written and I appreciated learning more about Queen Elizabeth II’s life and work, her evolution into becoming the oldest and longest-reigning monarch. Without diverging into royal gossip and meandering subplots, the show does a good job of documenting the arc of her life—her decisions and choices, her challenges and jubilees. As someone navigating midlife and parenting, I often struggle with confidence and decisiveness. Am I doing the right thing? Am I raising my children the right way? What’s next?
As the show depicts, Queen Elizabeth II did not have a road map yet was forced to navigate international conflict, policies, and prime ministers throughout her one, long life. Without out debating the details of her reign, I did finish the series with a newfound respect for how hard it is to lead. Also, it is important to note that at age 95, Queen Elizabeth II became a strong advocate for climate action. She spoke to the United Nations climate change summit in Glasgow in 2021.
It is the hope of many that the legacy of this summit - written in history books yet to be printed - will describe you as the leaders who did not pass up the opportunity; and that you answered the call of those future generations.
In this June sunshine, my Queen Elizabeth rose is thriving. I don’t take this for granted. We have a long summer ahead for us out West, with numerous wildfires already ablaze in California and New Mexico. I am trying to savor the beauty in every day while keeping the bigger picture in mind, maintaining a daily sense of calm without ignoring the profound urgency.
*summer solstice*