Winter in December

December is the month the weather begins to shift, and we start to feel the impending chill of winter. Just a week away on Tuesday, December 21, 2021, the winter solstice is the shortest day of the year. It also marks the return of the sun, as each day thereafter gets lighter by a minute leading up to the summer solstice on Tuesday, June 21, 2022. This can be a time for solitude of the season.

The two points of the solstice mark different positions of the sun. In each of these "seasons of the sun", we can embrace the changing sky with colorful sunsets that give way to visible planets, stars, and constellations. The ever-changing landscape with its trees of natural beauty appear stripped of their leaves and flora only to reveal bare bark. 

This lone swan pictured here on Brightwaters Lake is most likely having a last swim until these small lakes begin to freeze over. We probably won't see her again until Spring. Winter can be a source of comfort to us. With Christmas around the corner, we can take refuge, and the beauty of a first snowfall can spark memories of our childhood. For some, it's a time of darkness, but remember, the sun is actually getting brighter. Enjoy every minute.

Peace and Love,

Skylark