Thermometer 12-16-13The sun will rise this morning at 10:53 and set 3 hours and 45 minutes later at 2:40 this afternoon; But we are close to the solstice, and next Saturday the sun will be as far to the south as it gets. The day length then will be only a little shorter than today; 3 hours, 41 minutes and 29 seconds, and from that day on the days will be getting longer. The actual solstice will be before daylight, at 8:11 in the morning.

Looking north, near noon, temperature -38°F

Looking north, near noon, temperature -38°F

We’ve had a little more snow, interspersed with clear weather, and now have a show pack of around 14”. Temperatures have been around 0, but the forecast for this week is well below zero with skies often clear.

It never got light enough for a good outdoor picture yesterday, but this is what I woke up to this morning. Sorry for the blurring; I couldn’t even see the thermometer until the flash went off.

And a last minute reminder. If you’re giving or getting a Kindle for Christmas, load it up. Horse Power (rural science fiction with good reviews) will be free Dec 20 through 25, and Homecoming is priced under $5.