Winter Solstice

So, yesterday was the shortest day, and I believe the official time of the solstice was something like 4.49am this morning.

My sister came for the day yesterday, so I didn’t really notice how dark it seemed in the afternoon, but later, after she had gone home on the train and I had washed up, I popped out to take a photo before the light finally went.

Not much of a sunset, more just a gradual fading . . .

This morning I captured the dawn . . .

. . . which was not much different!

I read a lovely piece about the winter solstice written by Richard King on the Caught by the River website – www.caughtbytheriver.net – just before Christmas in 2013.  (Incidentally, this is a great site, with interesting daily posts, many about the natural world- well worth having a look every few days.)

He writes, ‘In Wales the shortest day is known as Cam Ceiliog . . . translated roughly means the length of a cockerel’s footstep. It describes the distance by which we can see the daylight start to extend as we walk away from the winter ‘s depths. From this moment, every day grows a little and the light returns, by the length of a cockerel’s footstep. . . . In the weeks ahead, if you find yourself sloughing through the back end of winter, and its tendency to immovable gloom – pace yourself. Cam Ceiliog has marked us a path. The daylight is coming. One step at a time.’

Wishing you all a very happy and peaceful Christmas:)