Winter Winter

I am learning a valuable lesson about myself and about winter. Being in the tropics has shown me first hand and made it very real that there is an option to winter. However, being away from winter has also opened my eyes to the beauty and magic of it.

We had an ice storm a week ago. It has been snowing some almost every day. However, I have enjoyed myself with skating and cross country skiing and taking walks in a winter wonderland. It is not that bad, if you have a positive attitude.

Here are some of my winter images:

Ice on cedar

Woodpile and Iced Tree

The Road Down to the River

The very good news is that now that the solstice has passed, the days are getting longer by an average of three minutes per day.

Christmas in the Tropics -- Carols

When we think of Christmas carols in the streets up north, perhaps we think of a Salvation Army band playing on a snowy street corner in the cold air. You can see the breath of the trumpet players even in the darkened streets as passersby hurry on their Christmas tasks, while Christmas lights shine on city sidewalks and the snow gently falls.

In the tropics, the brass band plays carols in the sunlight by the wharf of an emerald sea, while ships in the background ply their trade and a gentle zephyr blows in from the sea. When I snapped this pic, they were playing "God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen".

The good news is that last night was the shortest night of the year -- the winter solstice, and from here on in, the days will slowly get longer and longer.