Thanks Songbird and back at you! We celebrate the solstice here with a big bonfire in the snow and sub-freezing temperatures. Stars were amazing with an early setting near-new moon. Hope you're doing well in the depths of winter!
it was so warm for so long i got ahead for next season for a change (probably the first time i've ever been able to do that) and then we've dropped into actual winter the past three weeks. it has already been much colder this year than the previous two years. that is ok, it kills off many of the bad bugs... we don't really celebrate things by buying stuff for each other. i did get Mom some chocolates and have kept refilling the box from some candy bars we have so that has been a good bit of fun for both of us... i love fires, but the smoke does not love me so while i really like the idea of a bonfire out in the snow i couldn't actually do it (otherwise i'd be making biochar and have an outdoor cooking extravaganza and a rocket stove, pizza oven, smoker, etc.)... i get to experience all of this via remote control and youtube. the virtual fireplaces are very nice for that... i do love looking at the stars. i used to spend a few nights on the beaches along the Lake Superior shoreline so i could watch them. it isn't too bad around here for nighttime viewing (not too much light pollution), winter is great too but often cloudy. a few nights i'll wander outside for a few minutes when it happens to be clear. doing ok i would say, but yesterday a deer decided to run into the side of the car so... it got up and ran away, but the car will need repairs. i wasn't going very fast but it just decided to bolt out of the woods and it was my time. a common thing around here... are you doing anything different this coming season?