The moon’s waxing crescent phase shared the sky with Venus on the last sunset of the 2016 year.
Year End Sunset
The sun may be out but it is just barely above freezing and there no green grass or open water on the pond as everything is coated in snow and ice. Six months might not be a long time in the history of the universe, but it makes a big difference in the seasonal temperatures.
Six Months to Wait for Summer
Something warmer than a stable may have been needed for the baby Jesus if he was born here today with the howling winds and the freezing rain and sleet. The tree limbs are rattling outside making it seem colder yet so the stable walls would need to be tight to block the drafty air.
Merry Christmas from the Stable