Happy Winter Solstice Day!

Winter is finally, officially here.

Yep, this is the deepest, darkest night of the year.

In summer, we'd be heading out the door to the hangar, or the
playground, or the beach, for four more hours of "life". Instead,
today we huddle inside around the computer monitor, because it's
already been dark for over two hours (as I write this) -- and the sun
will be just coming up when I head into work tomorrow morning.

But it's not the coldest night of the year, not by far. Thanks to the
heat-sink effect of the earth, that day is almost precisely one month
in the future. Today it's in the upper 30s here in Iowa, with 1/4-mile
pea-soup fog, and 100-foot ceilings. Far from the worst that Mother
Nature can dish out -- but certainly nothing to crow about.

We heard one single-engine plane pass over the airport today -- he made
a couple of half-hearted approaches, and then departed for greener
pastures (and an ILS approach) up in Cedar Rapids. (And even there he
must've been at-or-below minimums...)

Yep, this is the time of year we all dread in summer, and struggle to
get through when it comes. It's as bleak as it gets -- which is, of
course, why they put Christmas smack in the midst of it. Nothing a
little faux merry-making to curse the darkness, and ward off the
demons!

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

which is, of
course, why they put Christmas smack in the midst of it.

No, it's why they put Saturnalia in the middle of it. And Saturnalia
may well have been a co-opt of some other holiday. Christmas was put
there in an attempt to drain Saturnalia of its pagan power, and get
people (who would be celebrating anyway) to at least do so in the name
of the latest god to achieve prominance.

Jose
--
"There are 3 secrets to the perfect landing. Unfortunately, nobody knows
what they are." - (mike).
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