So, with today being the winter solstice and thus having the fewest daylight minutes of the year, we celebrate that the days are now getting longer from here, as it’s typically put, which goes to show you how we can’t handle our own language; they days are the same length that they always are, except for a few picoseconds, but the axial tilt of the planet means the ratio of daylight to not-daylight is the widest it can get, in favor of the not-daylight. Back in June we had the same thing only in the other direction, but I never feel like recognizing that the daylight hours are now losing their commanding lead over darkness.
Anyway, for this momentous event (and because I’ve been busy with many other things and thus not photographing much of anything,) I tried to see if there were any sunspots visible, but by the time I recalled that I should be trying, the sky was hazing up and the sun had descended behind the trees – see that bit about axial tilt, above. So I opted for cheating, and went back into the folders for a pic taken on the summer solstice back on June 21st. And couldn’t find any. In any folders. Did I really go for that day in the summer and not shoot anything? I mean, nothing at all for several days on either side, even. Was I doing something then?
Finally, I found one, and it helped answer the question.
In the Space folder I found this, only it was from the 22nd instead. Just a quick grab shot early in the morning through The Girlfriend’s Sprog’s window, after waking up on their couch – the crescent moon with Venus tagging along, but this was one of only two attempts not marred by motion blur due to slooooww shutter speeds in the dim twilight. What it indicates, however, is that I’d traveled back to the old Less Stately Walkabout Manor to do some work, preparatory to selling it, an overnight trip so I had time to get everything done – I couldn’t sleep there because there wasn’t any furniture and I’d had enough of inflatable mattresses for a while. The summer solstice (the day before) was spent partially on the road, but mostly painting and fixing odds and ends. No wonder I had no pics.
Anyway, my head’s been bothering me all day, so this is what we get. Enjoy the holiday and looking forward to the sun rising earlier and staying up longer, like… well, not a teenager, that’s for sure, nor some old fart. Who rises early and stays up late? Probably those insufferable ‘go-getters’ or people relying on narcotics. No analogy that works well here. But enjoy it anyway.