The Darkness And The Light

Today, on the day of Winter Solstice, the sun rose at 9:41 am and set at 2:01 pm here, in the North.

Yes, 4 hours of daylight, my friends. And when it is overcast or snowy, there is this blue light instead. 

The word "light" definitely has a different meaning up here during this time of the year, mostly because although the sun does "rise", you never actually get to see it. 
What we do see is the colors in the sky on the southern horizon between mid day and 1:00 pm. 
But don´t get me wrong - it is spectacular and beautiful and, honestly - pure magical!
When else would we experience this unique display?

 And while the Light officially does return tomorrow, here up north we will have to actually wait for it for a little longer. 
So since tomorrow, the days won´t be getting shorter and nights longer anymore and it feels like all the clocks stop and everything gets to a stand-still till the end of the year.

But while lady Darkness is here, let´s embrace it, together with the winter, and really use this time for what it invites us to do - connect with our inner-selves. Travel within, brew those plans and goals and dreams, so you can execute them come spring time!

So on this day of Winter Solstice, let me celebrate the beginning of Winter - the while snow, and the skies of black velvet, the trillions of diamond stars and glitters on the snow as the moon shines. The perfect and unique shapes of snowflakes, caught on the dogs´s coats. The blue skies and sunshine to come, the happy huskies, rolling in the freshly fallen snow blankets, and the foxes leaving tiny careful tracks as they travel in search for food. The birds so gratefully munching on beef tallow we leave for them in the feeder, the cheeky magpies waiting for the dogs to finish their meaty meals, so they can pick spilled left overs around the dog houses. The dancing northern lights. The smell of burning birchwood in the morning air and the frosty drawings on our old, drafty windows.

And because I haven´t posted any pictures from around here for quite some time, I thought I would share a few pictures of how this time of darkness and a bit different light look like.

Enjoy and stay warm and safe!