July the Twelfth

If you Google "July 12th", you will come across an entry advising that today is the 193rd day of the calendar year and there are 172 days remaining until the end of the year. (Yes, you can find Wikipedia entries containing solely that sort of brief and completely mundane information - who knew? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_12)

Alternatively, you will also discover that "The Twelfth" or "Orangemen's Day" is an annual Protestant celebration, originating in Ireland and also held in Scotland. It is associated with the Orange Institution or the Orange Order. While they have a long and sometimes controversial political and fraternal history, it seems that these days, they're mostly known for their parades, which are held on the Sunday preceding July 12th. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_Institution)

I don't have any connection with this group but this date has always stuck in my mind for the simple reason that ever since I was young, I can remember my mother telling me that the orange daylilies that we see by the side of the road at this time of year always bloom in time for the Orange Parade. As far as I know, the only thing these two groups have in common is their colour but to this day, I remember this connection because of the sheer abundance of this pretty flower that seems to be blooming everywhere you go in central Ontario at this time of year (although this year, they actually bloomed two or three weeks ago and they've been hanging about ever since).

In this photo, you can see these lilies in front of a background of green, green corn stalks which are growing healthy and tall in the fields underneath a sun-filled, blue sky. Just another perfect summer's day.