Winter Solstice

Sunset over Lake Wissota. 2/11/2018 dwm

 Winter arrived under the cover of darkness, which isn't difficult as we experience more dark than light this time of year.

 Today we had 9 hours, 59 minutes, and 44 seconds of daylight; the shortest day of the year. Tomorrow, we start our long road back to more day than night.

 At this point it doesn't seem like we are going to have a 'normal' winter in south Wisconsin.  So far, all we've had is a few flurries and one small storm that left an inch on the ground.

  Less light and cold day after day can get old, even for people who've lived it.  

For all the freezing temperatures I've experienced, it's those occasions of unusually warm weather (40 or warmer) that make life livable.  The three years we lived in South Dakota, there was usually a warm stretch for a few days in February that helped folks re-set for the final month of winter.

After a drought year, most people will welcome snow this season.  A best-case scenario for the countryside would be a blanket of snow with regular accumulation that slowly melts in the spring.  It''s not a prediction but a prayer.  Enjoy the winter.