From Time to Time

Is it just me or is the distinction between seasons getting ever more blurry? How could I be sitting on my balcony wearing a jacket a week before I would be celebrating the summer solstice?

There are many ways to mark summer, of course, besides the outdoor temperature. Still flush from the excitement of witnessing American Pharoah’s Triple Crown victory, I am celebrating the season change (whether the weather cooperates or not) between the Belmont Stakes and opening day at the Del Mar Racetrack (July 16) at the Del Mar Summer Solstice this Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. I’m sure that partaking in the food, beverages and live music along the oceanfront Powerhouse Park will bolster my belief that this is the time of year to rejoice in the setting sun — especially because the Pacific lies on our western horizon. At last year’s event, I watched surfers paddle out with tiki torches when the sky began to darken; it was a beautiful sight.

The official summer solstice arrives on Sunday, when many people will be celebrating something else: Father’s Day. If my dad lived in San Diego or nearby, I would take him on a generational road trip (conducive to reminiscing) to Julian for artist James Hubbell’s annual Father’s Day Tour of his Ilan-Lael compound.

James and his family will be on hand to greet guests, who will have an opportunity to see eight structures in imaginatively organic shapes and adorned with colorful mosaics, wrought iron and stained glass. Guided tours are given in two shifts: from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 1:30 to 4 p.m. In particular, visitors will likely be interested in the Ilan-Lael center (expected to be completed this year) that will host arts and culture events as part of the nonprofit Ilan-Lael Foundation’s mission of education and public engagement.

Between those two events, on Saturday, I could look at paintings, sculpture, ceramics and handcrafted jewelry at the La Jolla Festival of Arts (which also runs on Sunday), tour historic homes at the Old House Fair in South Park, or go formal for Ritz at the Zoo in Balboa Park.

I will attend at least three of the above seasonal events. Then next week, the separation between summer and winter will blur again for me, as our magazine staff will be staging a December issue photo shoot — complete with a holiday wreath!

Not to worry, I’ll get my mind readjusted soon enough; the Fourth of July is just around the corner.