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It's the shortest day today, midwinter. 18:11 to be precise, here in Gozo, is when the North Pole is tilted furthest away from the sun, the full 23.5°. The days grow longer from tomorrow, by just a few seconds a day to start off, until the Spring Equinox in March when we're getting nearly an extra 2½ minutes a day. I feel all sap-filled and fecund just thinking about it. The gains then slow gradually until the Summer Solstice in June when the days begin to grow shorter again.
I'm fond of a good solstice, it brings out the inner druid in me. I feel an urge to go dress in a robe, attach a false beard and wear a silly hat, something with antlers preferably. I'm not sure where I would find antlers in Gozo, the biggest mammals here being rats, rabbits and hedgehogs, and I'm fairly sure none of those have antlers. There's probably a website for that sort of thing. Anyway, being far too self-conscious to wander about here in amusing headgear, I took pictures of the sunset instead.
5pm, 17°