In the past week I've shoveled snow from two storms and the temperatures have ranged from single digits to the 50s. With mild temeratures and cheery birdsong today you could easily fool yourself into thinking spring was in the air.
When it comes to seasons I follow the meteorological calendar and consider December first the first day of winter, not the solstice. A fan of winter I'm not, but it's not so much the weather that bothers me as the abysmally short days. During the week, it's dark when I leave for work and it's dark when I get home. Today the sun rose at 7:14 and set at 4:23. Despite the anemic amount of daylight though, we have actually gained three minutes of sunset time since last week.
To read more about the solstice, check out this article from The Washington Post filled with all sorts of interesting factoids. The last sentence in the article sums up my feelings..."If you don’t like the cold, the good news is whatever the rest of winter brings, daylight is once again on the upswing.".
So light some candles and raise your glasses on this longest night of the year. Celebrate with family and friends. Not only is the season of givng in full swing but sunset times are on the rise!
Happy Winter Solstice!
