The first day of summer

Interestingly, the first day of summer on the calendar coincided with the first day of summer in our weather. Mid-70s, woo-hoo. Maybe there's hope for the rest of summer. Looking at the forecast, I see we're due a few more days of rain starting tomorrow night. We've had the occasional sunny day this spring, but what I want are several sunny days in a row. Apparently uber-blogger James Lileks is experiencing something similar all the way in Minnesota:

Well, here’s a surprise: a cool, overcast day! (sob) You can see it all settle in the faces of the citizens: they’ve written the summer off.

Why is summer solstice the first day of summer? Didn't it used to be called "midsummer" as in A Midsummer Night's Dream? Some folks just call it "the longest day of the year," which is wordy but accurate. If I were Jerry Seinfeld, I could develop this thought into a genuinely hilarious comedy routine, but I'm me so I'll just go to bed at the close of the longest day. I guess it's the shortest night of the year, too.