It feels as cold as it looks from the clear blue sky. Tonight the temperature will go down to 2 degrees, tomorrow the high will be 16. I am happy to see that the Winter Solstice is just three days away, on Sunday, the days will be getting longer instead of shorter.
We have been gathering wood for weeks now, preparing for our Winter Solstice fire.
The winter solstice is symbolic, at least to us.
It’s just a moment of time, astronomically speaking. The least amoung of possible daylight all year occurs on the winter solstice, and then we begin the rich and warm climb back to the light.
At the time of the winter solstice, the sun is farthest south in the sky at noon in the northern hemisphere. Less direct solar radiation means less heating of the ground in the winter in the northern hemisphere.
Sunday will be the shortest day and the longest night of the year for us, and for those living in the northern hemisphere. Sunrise will occur at 7:17 a.m., sunset at 4:32 p.m.
Today, the cold burned my cheeks and made me drowsy. The wood stoves are warm, and our baseboard heater is warming up the bedroom. The wind is harsh and I feel for our animals.
They don’t seem to care much about the cold, but I wonder if they can imagine grazing again out in the fields.
On Christmas Eve, I’m taking Maria out to an inn in Vermont for the night, we’ll be back here on Christmas morning. I’m feeling the spirit.
I’m not big on celebrating Christmas, but I’m a huge fan of the Winter Solstice. The beginning of slightly longer days and not quite so long nights is worth having a major celebration. I listen to the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” and dance around my living room. My dog thinks I’m nuts! She’s probably right.