Happy winter/summer solstice, everybody!
 

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1198299972

My favourite day of the year. The sun is coming back!

(With apologies to our members in the southern hemisphere. :p )

Solstice
 

Solstice! Thank goodness the Sun is going to be around more. Winter weather has been pretty harsh thus far :o

RH77

yeah, I've been looking forward to some light when I go to and FROM work now as well.

I can't wait for it to get bright again.

Before there was such a thing as a Kwanzaa, Christmas, Hanukkah, or Saturnalia, there were winter solstice celebrations. This celebration goes way back into prehistory in the temperate parts of the world celebrating the change from progressively shorter days to the start of progressively longer days and the eventual return of summer. The only technical advance needed for the winter solstice celebration to occur was the creation of a standing stone (or wood) circle so they could pinpoint that shortest day from the rest of the short days flanking it. All of the traditional evergreen vegetation decorations associated with this time of the year originally derived from winter solstice celebrations. The "Christmas" tree originated from the winter solstice celebrations in the Germanic regions of Europe. The holly, ivy, and mistletoe likewise from winter solstice celebrations in Celtic regions (Britain and France)

Basjoos, you are not only an inspiration to aero freaks, but a font of historic ritual trivia too.

I can't help but think that as people first clued in to the progression of the sun through the seasons, they were probably pretty freaked out when they first realized it was "going away" after June 21(ish).

The first solar observation after the winter solstice would have been a massive "PHEW!!" moment ... definitely worthy of celebration.

Winter solstice 2009
 

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1261407814

OK, so it's a Saturn Sky roadster, not a Pontiac Solstice. They're basically the same car though, so close enough!

Not easy to find pictures of Pontiac Solstices in winter conditions...

Today is the day I've been waiting for!
Now, I can see where the house shadows are falling in the backyard..
I'm thinking about the idea post locations for mounting some PV.

Found it! Right there at the peak of the shadow (of the peak) is where I need to dig a hole and plant a big steel post.. (That old dish has got to go)!

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...dwinterday.jpg

Yup, the sun will be coming back around. Unlike the car in the first post!

Which fact should be tattooed on the foreheads of some over-enthusiastic followers of a certain Johnny-come-lately religion, who are wont to go around harping on "the reason for the season" :-)