Ode to the Winter Solstice

The shortest day of the year has finally arrived! Given, I won't see it, because I haven't seen daylight since the 11th due to midnights, but the thought that it is here is enough.

Sunrise this morning is at 10:15 and sunset is at 3:43. I know, a whopping five and a half hours of "daylight". Sam... When you read this, I apologize for always stealing your pictures, but they're just always too good.

Sam took this picture today at about 1:30 in the afternoon. So for those of you who always ask about the daylight situation, here is about how high the sun gets in the sky (solar elevation is about 5 degrees). Without further ado:



I reckon all of this goes without saying that I currently have the best tan I've ever had in my entire life! In all honesty, sometimes when I look in the mirror after sleeping all day, with bags under my eyes... I briefly confuse my appearance with one of a zombie (slightly kidding)!

Another cool picture that I'll get to in a second is once again of the alaska range as seen from town. I love the fact that, when it's clear (and it often isn't), you can see just about for ever. These mountains are well over a hundred miles away, but are so crisp. The other night, I had just woken up (sometime around 4) and was driving up to the grocery store (Fred Meyer, whoever you are, your grocery stores are freaking genius!). I noticed this pink area on the horizon... and it happened to be Denali (Mt. McKinley) still pink in the light of sunset, although the sun had set quite a bit ago in Anchorage. I guess that's about the only benefit of sticking your neck up into the atmosphere 20,000 ft. + up.

So anyway, here's a picture looking toward the Alaskan Range and over a frozen Cook Inlet.



I tell ya, I really am starting to think ducks and geese are smarter than I give them credit for. While we've been up here in sub-freezing temperatures for the past several months, some of those fowl were soaking up 70 degrees and sun late last week in NC. Oh the envy.

Well, that's enough for now.... I should be getting back to work!