Sunrise.... Sunset

I have an annual thing that I do. After Christmas settles down to a dull roar I start watching the sunrise and sunset times on the weather station until the spring equinox. Somehow it makes the winter more tolerable to know that the days are getting longer. On December 19th there was a beautiful picture here and I thought, -this is really the turn of the year,- when I saw it even though the turn was still a few days away. It was so beautiful that I've been wanting to post it here on my blog. This picture epitomizes the winter solstice for me. Now I can watch the skies slowly growing brighter as the days grow longer. It really is a Northern thing I think. When you live this far North the sky can almost become something you worship. It really does help you get past -42 degree temps and make you aware of time progressing into the next season.

While I like to do this at this time of the year there is a feeling of urgency.... a sense of pushing at time to move it on forward faster.... then I hit the spring equinox and I want to put on the brakes and slow everything down. I start to watch the morning sky and I have this wonderful sense of well being.... but for now I just want to hibernate! It is odd how I think I might actually be able to slow or speed time progression... I mean little ol' me... really.... not likely! So you will notice to the right under the header for this blog a new gadget..... the Sunrise and Sunset times will be posted every day that I blog.

Quiet mornings of dark,
Birds hide,
Mice sleep,
All the creeping things are tucked away.

Slowly this land awakes and throws off its blanket of white,
Daylight penetrates my skin,
Suffusing me with well being.

Birds come home and plants bloom,
Alive, all is alive.
I watch and wait,
Patiently, growing warm.

Hope you are thinking of warmth too!

Now.... a little cotton today, I think.... and tea! Perfect for -24.