Today is the winter solstice. The peak time of darkness for the Northern Hemisphere in all of 2016. It was supposed to be the darkest in quite a while, due to a lunar eclipse. I was awake at 0353 Arizona time and it was drizzling. Thanks to the cloud cover, it wasn’t very dark and I missed the eclipse.

I know the day’s important for those who celebrate nature-based religions. In ancient times, cattle were slaughtered so they didn’t have to be fed over the coming winter. For those who like their libations- the solstice meant that wine and beer  had fermented long enough and could now be drunk (hence Merry Christmas).

For me, it means the dogmeister and I will eventually be out walking during Arizona’s amazing sunrises.

And I’ll start to encounter coyotes and owls, maybe a raccoon or two, jackrabbits and quail.

But first, we have to get through the cold weather and slippery frost on the grass in the park, frozen puddles on the sidewalks, and the eventual removal of bright Christmas lights that line the streets.

Which is why the solstice is so special. It’s a magic time between the crispness of winter when all is dark and quiet with an inconstant moon watching over us, and the decorations of the holidays shoving back the night with cheerful bursts of light and inflatable creatures.

Until next time.