Anyone else notice how strong the sun is this year?

Anyone notice anything different about the sun this year?

I'm talking about its intensity.

I hope my dermatologist is not reading this.

About the last place I'm supposed to be is sitting in the sun. Blame my fair skin and Irish genes. Thanks, mom and dad.

So of course I literally set up my deck and yard with a series of spots where I can sit and soak up the rays all day long. I start first thing in the morning by grabbing the paper and heading for the deck, where I immediately point my chair east to drink in the first beams of the day.

I'm kind of like a cat, shifting from one spot in the yard to another to best catch a few rays.

Yes, I even have a spot on the patio under the deck where I can retreat when it gets too hot.

I usually end the day on the front porch with a cup of coffee, tucked into the corner where I can catch the last few glimpses of sun for the day.

The Phillies on the radio, a cool beverage, and I'm a happy guy.

But something odd is happening this year that I had not noticed before.

Anyone else notice how strong the sun is this year?

For a person like me - with my skin - and my medical history, this is not good news.

I first noticed this last weekend. I was sitting on the deck when I literally felt the sun burning the tops of my feet.

I actually had to retreat inside and throw on a pair of sneakers.

Later in the day, I realized it was not just my feet that had become victims. My knees also had turned a bright red.

I have already surrendered to the notion that I can't sit outside without a hat on. But again this year the sun strikes me as even more powerful than normal.

In other words, burn, baby, burn.

My wife has taken to chasing me around the yard with sunscreen.

I don't want to get into an argument about climate change, but this strikes me as weird and not the same as in years past.

Maybe I'm just getting older. Is your skin more susceptible as you age?

This does not bode well for a week at the beach later this summer.

I'm already the guy wrapped in towels sitting under the umbrella.

Anyone else think the sun seems a lot stronger this year?