Solstice Mystery

The article below was in the "Guest Column" of the Skaneateles Press Today:

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Guest Column in the Skaneateles Press

“As a worker of the earth, we observe many things. Our business as farmers depends on weather and indirectly the orientation of the earth. One thing I have noticed since December 2006, is that something is off kilter. On our porch railing, I have a set of nails positioned to line up with the winter solstice, as well as the summer solstice. For many years they lined up perfectly with the setting of the sun on the western horizon. The difference is nearly 90 degrees and it always amazed me how much the sunset moves in one season. This past Dec. 21, I sat out on my porch with may neighbor Joey, waiting for the sunset, as it was a perfect evening to observe this once a year event. I had invited my neighbor Joey to watch with me as he is in middle school and the solstice is an important part of understanding earth science at that age. We waited and when the moment came to line things up, they didn’t. I am not talking someone hit the nails and they were out of line, I am talking a half mile on the other side of the lake. The difference was so great that I contacted Syracuse University among others about my observation. I was not given any comfort. So I thought, I must wait until June to see how things line up. But to my surprise on May 30th the nails lined up on the horizon just over Mandana to where the sun should set on June 21, the longest day of the year. We still had 20 plus days to go. So my finding in December was not a fluke. What does this mean you ask? Basically, my theory is the earth (they said it wobbled during the Tsunami) wobbled off its normal tilt of 23 and half degrees. We should henceforth have the same climate as southern Pennsylvania as the difference on my porch was about three degrees… Huge in solar system standards. It also means that the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn could no longer be of any significance. To test this I should travel on June 21 to a point 150 miles north of the Tropic of Capricorn… or is it Cancer; to see if my shadow is directly under me at noon. This raises so many questions in my mind. Does this relate to global warming; at least for us Northern Hemisphere people? If nothing else, it is neat to think that something that I thought was so permanent has changed in my world. Even if no one else believes me, I know I did my homework and my results are valid to my porch and me. Here’s to a longer summer!”

Editor’s note: Since then there have been other observations: “There are other things that I noticed, like the shadow of may windmill on my barn never hit the top of it on the solstice as it usually does. The shadow went off the barn a month earlier than usual., laying itself along the lawn. Presently the shadow of the windmill is a lot closer to the windmill that in has ever been. The birds have been noisy lately too.”