In winter, I get up at night

And dress by yellow candlelight.

In summer, quite the other way;

I have to go to bed by day.

~ Robert Louis Stevenson

WATERLOO - Young children and those with early bedtimes share Stevenson's lamentation of shutting their eyes while the sun is still visible above the skyline.

But for the rest of us, the 18th-century Scottish poet and novelist has little to complain about. Summer, with its longer days, allows for the most outdoor activities precisely because of its abundant sunshine and warm weather.

And today, June 21, marks the longest day of all; the summer solstice. Though some refer to the solstice as the "beginning" of summer while others call the day approximately the "midpoint" of the season (in some European countries, it's called "midsummer"), in scientific terms it is the day in which the sun rises earlier and sets later than any other day of the year.

After today, the days will begin to grow shorter until the winter solstice on Dec. 22.

This year, that means you had to get up at 5:32 a.m. and stay awake until 8:50 p.m. to take advantage of every inch of sunlight - a total of 15 hours, 18 minutes. However, with a high temperature of 86 degrees, it's recommended you don't actually stay in the sun that long, and wear plenty of sunscreeen when you do.

That's especially true if you'll be wearing nothing but your bathing suit at one of the many pools and aquatic centers in the area, where 86 degrees is the perfect temperature.

"Between 85 and 90 on a sunny day is nice," said Eric Bertch, manager at Lost Island Waterpark in Waterloo. However, he noted the waterpark doesn't extend its hours based on how late the sun goes down.

One place that does is the local golf course, where tee times can be had until the sun goes down.

"We're just open until dark every day of the year," said PGA golf pro Greg Mason of the Waverly Golf Course. Mason added a perfect day on the course is around 75 to 80 degrees, with not much wind.

After a dip in the pool or a round of golf, you can stop by Lincoln Park for the Juneteenth Summer Harmony Day, which commemorates the abolition of slavery, from 1-6 p.m. After that, you might want to scoot over to Byrnes Park for a free concert by the Waterloo Municipal Band at 7:30 p.m., held every Thursday during the summer, or pony up a few bucks for Martina McBride and Diamond Rio, taking the stage at the McLeod Center on the UNI campus at 7:30 p.m.

If you really want to take advantage of the day, it's relatively easy to get around on a bicycle thanks to the extensive Cedar Trails system.

"Probably 75 degrees, a five-mile wind and relatively low humidity - that would be my favorite day," said Brent Johnson, owner of Bike Tech in Cedar Falls.

Unfortunately, the forecast according to www.weather.com also shows a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. If it does rain, indoor activities abound. The Two-Cylinder Tractor Expo starts today at the National Cattle Congress in Waterloo, along with kite exhibits at the UNI Museum or a trip back to 1890s life at the Rensselaer Russell House Museum in Waterloo.

For those of us trapped in offices toiling away most of the daylight, even getting outside for a while today is just a pipe dream. Others, like construction crews working outside, know more sunlight can translate into a more-productive day.

"If it's real busy, and they're behind, (companies) will take advantage of your daylight hours," said Kevin Fittro of Skogman Homes in Cedar Falls.

Cork Peterson, vice president of Peterson Contractors Inc. in Reinbeck, said he's had different crews work all day and night before, such as when PCI built an ethanol plant in Menlo this spring. But, he said, it's not practical to have one group of people working all day, no matter how many daylight hours there are.

"You can't work people 15, 16 hours and be safe," Peterson said. "Efficiency goes down an awful lot."

Contact Amie Steffen at (319) 291-1405 or amie.steffen@wcfcourier.com.