The Winter Solstice has long been a special time for those of us living far north of the equator. While for some it is—understandably—a hard, cold, dark time of year, for others it is a time to enjoy a slower pace, a time to be with friends and family.

Of course I’m also very aware of both where the sun is during these short days and of the beauty of the night sky. A new moon against the bare branches of the Black Locust; the evening star in a cold, clear sky or the morning glow on snow-covered Camel’s Hump; if we are blessed, the Northern lights, or to wake and find Orion looming in the south—a sight that always astonishes and delights me.

I love this time of year but, in part, I love it knowing in six months we’ll also celebrate the longest day of the year and, sweet memory, again see the warm glow of a setting summer sun. Today is a day to honor the cycle of life.

21 Dec This entry was published on December 21, 2013 at 10:12 am. It’s filed under Camel's Hump, Clouds, John Snell, Moon, People, Photograph, Summer, Sunrise, Sunset, Vermont, Winter and tagged Black Locust, Camel's Hump, moon, Orion, summer, sun, winter, winter solstice. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.