TheBanyanTree: Winter Solstice once again - FINALLY!

[Snowgoose]

Summer Solstice (yes, I said Summer) is a big deal in many parts of the 
world, including here in Alaska. Celebrated as the day with the most 
hours of daylight of the entire year; OOOH sunshine galore, BBQs until 
... well, as late as you want and all the many other pleasures this 
special day brings. It's a celebration of the growing season, the time 
of new blooms, abundant gardens and growing, healthy herds and flocks.

SUMMER!!

We celebrate Summer Solstice here in Alaska in a BIG way . . . there are 
Solstice parties everywhere. In Fairbanks (farther north and inland from 
us by about 500 miles), the town puts on an all night (all day?) party - 
the sun literally NEVER goes down so the party is a full 24 hours.

Whoopee.

I refuse to celebrate Summer Solstice. Why?

No, I don't dislike Summer - as a matter of fact, it's my very favorite 
season of the year. I LOVE the sunshine, the verdant greenery, trees 
heavy with bright leaves and quivering with the slightest whisper of 
wind. It's a time of baby goats (here anyway <grin>) and sleek, shiny 
adults soaking up the sun on their coats. I love watching young animals 
playing in a pasture filled with fresh grass and yellow dandelion heads. 
I can easily see them from the house and sometimes spend way too much 
time just smiling and watching - it's a view I will never tire of and 
which brings me much joy. I love sitting out on my deck and feeling a 
soft breeze against my face as I read a book or sip a drink. Watching 
newly fledged chickadees, nuthatches, finches and sparrows make their 
first, tentative trips to the bird feeders hanging nearby and barn 
swallows glowing iridescent as they perform aerial acrobatics while 
nipping flies and other bugs from the air. It's a glorious season of 
rebirth and plenty. Alaska's Summer tempatures are usually wonderfully 
mild, averaging in the 70s with low humidity. It's a wonderful place to 
live ... in the Summer.

But . . . and here's the catch - Summer Solstice is the longest day. The 
last LONGEST day. <sigh> The very next day the world begins the 
inevitable swing back towards Winter. I can't help it. To ME, Summer 
Solstice means the beginning of shorter days . . . I can almost smell 
snow in the air. I know it's all in my mind, but there it is.

SO . . . I guess it is only natural that I DO love and celebrate with 
great enthusiasm - WINTER SOLSTICE!

Yes, it IS the shortest day of the year. The day with the very least 
amount of sunshine (and believe me, up here, there's little enough on a 
good day during the winter <sigh>). In fact, today is dimmer than most. 
It's been snowing since I awoke. The sun may be out there somewhere, but 
other than giving some sense of "day", it hasn't really shown it's face 
and will be gone in short order anyway.

I DON'T CARE!!  Today is the day of Winter Solstice and I am chilling a 
bottle of my favorite wine in preparation of celebrating this wonderful 
day once Jer comes home from work. Why?

Because it means TOMORROW begins the inevitable swing towards longer and 
longer days . . . SPRING is coming!!! I admit, it won't be here for 
quite a long time yet, but after today, each day will bring with it 
added seconds and then minutes of extra daylight. It starts slowly, with 
just a few more seconds of daylight each day . . . but as we get closer 
to Spring, Mother Nature's clock gains speed. As January and February, 
filled with snow and ice, wind and cold, pass by and March approaches, 
the days will begin to gain daylight in leaps and bounds . . . by April, 
it will be gaining by MINUTES per day rather than seconds . . . until we 
close in on June again. In late May and early June, daylight grows by 
more than five minutes each day - it is GLORIOUS!! I LOVE IT! June in my 
part of Alaska brings dawn at around 4:00 AM and the sun sets - sort of 
- and usually with spectacular colors if I manage to stay awake to see 
it - at around 1:30 or 2:00 AM.

And then of course, we come to the official day of Summer Solstice and I 
get depressed . . . since this means the clock is going to start heading 
the other direction again . . . losing precious minutes each day. 
Heading back towards short, dark days; the time of bundling up in snow 
suits, gloves and hats . . . back to days of watching the wild birds 
frantically fighting over the suet balls and thistle sacks for their 
winter survival rations, the house cats glued to the windows wishing 
they could just ... get ... out ... there . . . <grin>, days of 
shoveling snow, throwing snowballs for the Border Collie, putting fake 
antlers on the Pygmy goats to take cute Christmas pictures (ironic, 
isn't it? We disbud them because we don't want horned goats - then put 
cute fake antlers back on to take pictures <G>).

Oh wait. That's today. Hmm . . . and the world keeps turning.

Happy Winter Solstice to you all!!

Enjoy!

-Deb

-- 
Deb Frost / snowgoose
Spring Promise Pygmies; Wasilla, Alaska
dfrost at customcpu.com
http://www.springpromisepygmies.com
Pygmy owner since 1976, breeder since 1988
Member NPGA since 1991

"My Border Collie is smarter than your honor student."