Winter Solstice!

It's finally here. Winter Solstice. A very exciting day in Fairbanks. The shortest day of the year. From here we can only go up: more daylight, more sun. Oh yes, please, more sun! It's only been in the past two weeks that I've felt the oppressiveness of the dark, and I am over it. I've been popping Vitamin D like candy. 

I'm off work for a few weeks now and find myself with a lot of time on my hands. It's been too cold for snowshoeing or skiing. Heck, it's even been too cold to snow! I spend the morning with the paper, my coffee and Happy Light: 

Notice that it's pitch black outside. This was at 9:00am.

I try to be out and about during the few daylight hours we have, and I'm finding ways to keep myself occupied. I'm making "wristers" for everyone I know. 

 
I've been spending ungodly amounts of time at Crossfit every night: olympic weightlifting clinics, mobility workouts, whatever. I'm there. I'm even considering entering a weightlifting event in February. There are so few record holders at my age <ahem, ahem> that I could end up being state champ!

The last week has been chilly: -40 temps nearly every day, and the ice fog has been thick! Here are some scenes from the Solstice sunrise (at 10:58am). It was -42 when I took these. Appreciate.

AT&T park! The sign is difficult to make out,
but it really is a park owned by AT&T. Makes me giggle
every time I see it. Bay Area folk, you understand. 

Solstice sunrise

Despite being ready for longer days, I will miss the lighting of winter. The quality of light is different from the rest of the year, and spectacular. The soft pinks, blues and grays are stunning. 

Yet like so many beautiful things, it feels fleeting. Change always stirs conflict and this is no different. To have one we have to sacrifice another.

And I'm okay with that. Bring on the SUN!

And the cats...well, they're being cats, anxious to get outside in between naps.

Tonight there is a Winter Solstice celebration downtown, culminating in fireworks. I have access to a VIP viewing party (although in Fairbanks, that doesn't have quite the same meaning as it does in other cities). But still, it'll be a good time and something to do! Hopefully we'll be able to see the fireworks through the ice fog.