Elizabeth Woodworth: Enjoy these midsummer days while they last

The sun passes into Cancer on June 20. Between June 19 and 23, the sun holds steady at its solstice declination of 23 degrees 26 minutes, and the day's length remains virtually unchanged.

Strawberry season ends as domestic red raspberries and wild black raspberries ripen. Commercial broccoli and squash harvests, as well as cherry picking, are underway.

The moon is new on June 23, and it reaches perigee on that date. Expect storms and higher-than-average stress on gardens and beasts.

Rose chafers and two-spotted spider mites are active in your roses bushes. Cucumber beetles destroy cucumber and melon vines. Japanese beetles attack almost everything.

The summer solstice is on June 20 at 11:24 p.m. CST. The first day of summer, June 21, is also the longest day of the year. Be prepared. The days will start getting shorter until we are back to getting up and going to bed in the dark.

I like long days and lots of sun. Midsummer day, June 24, is the midpoint of the growing season, halfway between planting and harvest.

The lightning bugs are flitting round. I enjoy watching them. I was weeding and disturbed a night crawler. I don't think I have even seen such a big one. When he crawled across the bed, he was at least 10 inches long, maybe more. I think I am being conservative. If I hadn't unhoused him, I would have first thought he was a baby snake, except that he was skinny.

It is June 2017, and campaign ads are appearing almost hourly. It is going to be a long, long time until November 2018.

Family Circle asked Facebook fans: Which treat would you chase down the ice cream truck to eat? Six percent, Push Pop; 9 percent, orange cream bar; 9 percent, snow cone; 11 percent, Bomb Pop; 18 percent, Fudgsicle; 20 percent, ice cream sandwich; and 27 percent, Drumstick or cone.

I don't remember that Harrisburg ever had an ice cream truck. Coach Cal had a snow cone truck.

Make your own fried ice cream: Scoop ice cream onto a wax, paper-lined baking sheet. Form each scoop into a rounded ball. Place baking sheet in freezer for a least 15 minutes. In a skillet, melt 1/4 cup of butter, add your favorite crushed nuts, cookie or cereal, stirring frequently until butter is absorbed, three or five minutes. Set aside to cool.

Remove baking sheet from freezer and roll ice cream balls in topping mixture, pressing mixture into ice cream until coated. Drizzle or sprinkle with the liquid topping before serving. Try this: Vanilla ice cream, Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, chocolate syrup.

Or lime sherbet, crushed pretzels, line wedge, pinch of salt. Vanilla ice cream, coconut flakes, pineapple preserves. Coffee ice cream, crushed pecan shortbread cookies, chocolate syrup.

Grilling time

If you have leftover hamburger and hot dog buns, don't let them go to waste. And we all know they aren't as good once frozen. Cube them and swap for the bread in your favorite baked French toast or breakfast casserole recipe.

Stuff buns with tomato sauce, cheese and your favorite pizza toppings. Brush the tops with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt. Bake at 350 degrees until hot and melty.

Make a cheese Danish. Spread half a bun with a mixture of two tablespoons of softened cream cheese, one teaspoon of honey and a dash of cinnamon. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and place under a broiler for two minutes.

And finally

No matter how big and bad you are, when a 2-year-old hands you a toy phone, you answer.