The Dead of Winter

FTLComm - Tisdale - December 9, 2000

I always have disliked that term, as people will casually refer to some winter situation often in late January and they will describe it as "the dead of winter". I always understood it to mean a time when it was cold, very cold and the days were short, very short and perhaps that would best describe now. The temperatures have fallen to that below -30 C range where you want to smack someone who says "Is it cold enough for yah?" Daylight comes at 8:30 in the morning and darkness descends at a few minutes after 4:00 in the afternoon. The picture below right, is the semi-clouded night sky last night as the moon peeked through the cold thin clouds and is seen behind our giant poplar tree. People often refer to this kind of moon as a "Dark Moon." The buisness of Tisdale have once again this year decorated the cenotaph park by lighting up the large trees and planting a bunch of signs identifying who is represented. The ugly pity of this process is that a number of these trees remained decorated all year as they lights from last year were left up all summer, this somehow defeats the idea of sharing the Christmas spirit. The picture above is take a some distance and the thirty foot trees seem rather small, but it is an impressive display. Today's dazzling sunlight and gentle but relentless West wind will catch your attention if you venture outside but just in case you have the courage, "Charlies Angels" is showing at the theatre tonight and the Ramblers will take on Birch hills at 8:00.