WINTER/SUMMER SOLSTICES 2014

It's always nice to be past the shortest solar day, but for me it never feels like I'm through the worst of it until around late February. The temperatures always seem to lag the daylight by about two months.

Our Houston fall has been so mild that leaves still cling to most of the trees, with some color mixed in most of them.

Our winter has been pretty mild so far. We had that one big snow storm on Thanksgiving which knocked out power for a while, but that's only because the utility companies don't seem to realize that trees grow every year and need to be continuously trimmed to keep them away from power lines.

Tonight will be the longest night in the history of Earth

I read it here, so it must be true.
http://www.vox.com/2014/12/21/7424371/winter-solstice

I'm with you on February. I'm thinking some of it's the shadows, the bare trees, etc. The cold of course doesn't help.

I don't know why there is a climatic lag to the solar cycle. My guess would be that the oceans, atmosphere and land probably take some time to absorb energy and then to radiate heat.

That article has already been corrected.

I know the coldest days are before us but the day lengths will increase so that by mid Jan e actually notice it.

The darkness has been somewhat of a bummer for me since I learned for sure how odd my eyes are back in the late eighties, and stopped driving at night or even twilight in case I got stuck in traffic, because I shouldn't. Some streets are lit enough for me, but many not. All this time later, I'm used to it and even content with coziness indoors. Still, winter solstice brings me glee, an advance of happiness unfolding slowly, more light coming.

I start looking throughs eed catalogs as soon as the holidays are over. Its a time of rebirth of a farmers year. The Pa Farm Show begins in 2 weeks. (Its the US's biggest ). It has the introduction fo new farm equipment , seeds, new pasture mixes and alfalfa. Fruit and nut cultivars . All the best animal breeders in a 7 state region.
Im helping my neighbor in his annual hunt for the best Percheron team of 6 and Belgian dressage team of 4. I love the Belgians, they are the sweetest giant horses . Not a nasty bone in their bodies.
Percherons can be sometimes little mule-like but not Belgians.

All this is upcoming and then, in the PA Dutch regions, e begin the Annual "Mud SAles" run by country Fire Companies to let the Amish sell goods and help raise csh for the rural fire companies.

All this as the light returns.

I don't think we will have any ice fiishing this year. Last year the ice was already 5 in thick before Christmas. Today, its barely a hlf inch.

Horsies!