The sun will rise at 10:06 this morning, and after 5 hours 5 minutes it will set at 3:11 this afternoon . We’re now losing less every day – 5 minutes and 47 seconds today. The solar altitude at noon is only about 4° above the horizon, and the sun barely makes it into the house. We’re slowly getting closer to the sun, as usual this time of year, but it certainly doesn’t feel like it!
Looking south from Wolf Run at solar noon, 11/24/12. That’s as high as the sun gets this time of year.
To show how short the days are: Saturday I left a little after sunrise for a haircut, lunch, automatic teller at bank and three stores, in all of which I knew what I wanted and where to go. No lines to speak of. The sun was setting as I started home, with the gibbous moon shining in the northeastern sky. (The full moon is highest when the sun is lowest.) The skies are still clear, and the daily highs struggle (often unsuccessfully) to get above 0°F. No snow since last week, and the snow stake is still sitting at 6”.
The clear skies have a price — inversions and the resulting air pollution. Once that meant carbon monoxide, but improved car design has largely eliminated that. Now our problem is fine particulates, largely from wood smoke. Appallingly, a recent Borough election voted down local controls — which means leave it up to the EPA, since we are far out of compliance. This morning the radio warned that the particulate level was unhealthy even for healthy people, and a friend of mine on oxygen is housebound and miserable.
I’m a little excited about this evening. The science fiction and fantasy group at our local library is reading my first book, Homecoming. I’ve been invited so they can talk to a real, live author. I’m running low on bookmarks — need to print up more. Also some business cards with my web addresses.
#writenotivation:
I still need to write up one more Inner Council meeting from Zhaim’s POV, letting him come to the conclusion that he has to get Roi out of the way somehow. My editor’s not going to be back in town until next month, so I should be able to finish the changes before she’s ready for the next round. There’ll be more changes, of course – there always are. But I’m happy with the effect of adding Jacyn’s and Zhaim’s POVs. Or should that be points of view?
Buy Homecoming from iUniverse
'Homecoming' Blog 
I’m not big on snow and cold weather, which is why I have moved from my hometown in western New York. But I have always wanted to visit Alaska!!! I would love to vacation there for a few months and just write and photograph the area!
Come in summer.