Shortest day of the year.

[zinnith]

It's winter solstice, -20 C and nose-freezingly cold. Still beautiful though.



I took all these pictures on my lunch walk. This is as high as the sun goes this time of year, but now we're finally going towards brighter times!

Comments

[sgamadison.livejournal.com]

I know it's bitterly cold there, but these are some lovely pictures! I was driving home across the mountains yesterday and as I drove alongside a river, I saw a bald eagle sitting in a tree. I stopped to take pictures, but the battery in my camera was dead and all I could do was get a fuzzy pic (of a black and white bird against a black and white background ;-) with my cell phone.

There were less than 30 breeding pairs in my state in 1970, but they seem to be making a comeback. It was such an exciting thing to see!

[zinfic.livejournal.com]

I must admit this kind of weather is best enjoyed from inside. I had to take off my gloves to take the pictures and my fingers still haven't thawed out...
It must have been so cool to see the eagle! Now I'm a little jealous :)

[sgamadison.livejournal.com]

We've had some weather like that recently--if you were outside for even a few seconds, any exposed fingers were at risk of frostbite! Thankfully, it's warmed up since then, though there is a possibility of a winter storm in time for Christmas.

I was *beside* myself when I saw the eagle. I was incoherent and making "oh! oh!" Horshack noises until I could say, "Eagle! Eagle!"

D (who is English) was in the car with me and he asked, "So, is that a big deal?"

:-)

[sherry57.livejournal.com]

Living in the city, when I told my daughter your story about the eagle, she was amazed and thought you were very lucky to be able to see such a sight! What a pity you didn't get the photo...we'd have loved to see it.

[sgamadison.livejournal.com]

I was way back in the beyond yesterday, doing a housecall for a woman who lives at the way up in the mountains. She once had a *bear* attack one of her dogs in her own *driveway*!

It's beautiful up there and I can see the appeal of living in a place like that--but she's at least 40 minutes from town and I'm betting there are weeks in the winter during which she cannot leave the house.

I got a photo--you just can barely tell what it is and you need someone standing over your shoulder pointing at it and saying, "See, right there! No, *there*." :-)

[sherry57.livejournal.com]

Your pictures are amazing. Fo the sun to not go any higher, you must be really in the North. Where are you? I come from Scotland and although daylight is short today, the sun goes a lot higher at noon.
Thanks for sharing these beautiful photos!

[zinfic.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I live in Dalarna in Sweden so it's pretty far north. Though once you get above the Arctic circle the sun barely rises at all so it could be worse. On the other hand, they get the midnight sun in the summer!

[sherry57.livejournal.com]

For sure, up North where you are is extraordinary but above the Arcic circle must be unbelievable. I once knew a girl from Finland who talk about reading a book in her bed at 2am without needing a lamp in the middle of Summer!

Have a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year my dear in your snowy beautiful country! Keep warm!

[zinfic.livejournal.com]

The Summers up here are amazing (when they don't rain away). It's a pity they're so short...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year back to you!

[bluespirit-star.livejournal.com]

Oooh, gorgeous!

[zinfic.livejournal.com]

It really is! At least as long as you get to sit inside and admire it through the window ;)

[hildejohanne.livejournal.com]

So beautiful! The sun gets a little bit higher in the sky where I'm at, close to Ålesund, but not much. I really like the light in the winter and your pictures capture that so well.

-20!!! I hope you're snuggling under a blanket in front of a roaring fire :)

[zinfic.livejournal.com]

My little sister reported -32 from my parents' home in the countryside. I'm beginning to re-think the whole 'celebrating Christmas with the family' thing...

[wanted-a-pony.livejournal.com]

Oooh, gorgeous! I can't quite imagine living someplace where it gets that cold & the sun is that low. I grew up in the U.S. in Michigan, at ~45th N. Parallel, but that wasn't even close to what you see! (Tho' it was in the country so the stars & Aurora Borealis, when we could see them on a moonless night, were heart-clenching.)

I stayed up to watch the lunar eclipse Solstice morning (it was around 2-4:00 a.m. here in Florida). Even in the middle of the night I stepped out to gaze in only a fleece sweatshirt, which felt strange, but the sight of the red-amber moon chased other thoughts out of my head. Thinking of other folks all around the world watching the eclipse &/or watching through the longest night for Sunreturn gave me a feeling....

[zinfic.livejournal.com]

I remember seeing the Aurora Borealis once when I was a kid. Mum was driving me home from violin practice and we were just talking about how cool it would be to get to see it some time and five minutes later we saw beautiful green lights in the sky. We don't get to see it much where I live and I think that's the only time I've ever seen it.

It was so cloudy here so we missed the eclipse unfortunately. I imagine it must have been amazing!

[lavvyan.livejournal.com]

Ah, that's beautiful. ♥

[zinfic.livejournal.com]

It's a little bit like living in a Christmas card :)

[tarlanx]

They are beautiful :)

[zinfic.livejournal.com]

Thank you!