According to the calendar, in the northern hemisphere, today the sun is the lowest, the night is the longest and winter starts. Except winter started weeks ago here and it looks like it will be a long winter so hopefully this log house has a supply of wood stacked up for the cold nights.
Start of Winter
The sunlight is short as the official start of winter approaches and even the few hours daylight may be cloudy or hazy sun. And with enough ice crystals in the air, even a ring appears around the sun reminding me it is cold outside.
Sun Circle
Icicles come in all shapes and sizes and they can reflect the view around them as well as reflecting a tiny star by the captured sunlight. But even though they are reflecting the sunlight, they are not giving off any heat and to me they are only reflecting the bitter cold temperatures.
Reflecting Cold
The pink sunset adds some color to the white landscape but it also reveals the lingering ice on the limbs.
Pink Ice Glow
Even with the sun out bright, I still have trouble imaging that I am on a warm beach and what I see is sand instead of snow. I suppose the -25ºF wind chill and the frozen seat might be a factor in my lack of imagination.
Wishing for a Warm Sandy Beach
You often hear people say that ‘things will look better in the morning’. Even in the Disney’s Jungle Book, Bagheera said the same quote, but it sure didn’t look better this morning as the trees are still ice and snow coated and it definitely did not feel better with the temperatures below zero. The poor trees seem as weary of winter as I am and winter has only started.
Not Better in the Morning
After several dark, snowy and rainy days, it is nice to see the sun but the sun is deceiving as it is very cold out and it also reveals the ice coated limbs that you only hear rattling in the dark.
Icy Morning
It is always interesting when going through the old photos of my grandparents and seeing the history of years past. It would be nice if this winter picture was in the past but the winter season has just started and spring is months away.
Winter Not History Yet
Today is ‘Giving Tuesday’, a daylong national event designed to help charities raise money online and encourage volunteerism following the Black Friday and Cyber Monday. I am definitely willing to give or volunteer my snow to anyone that wants it!
Giving Snow
The snow might have been pretty to some folks the other day, but the snow could wait another month or so since I still have stuff to do outside and preferred the above freezing temperature today compared to the days below freezing.
Pretty Snow?
