The Shortest Day of the Year

Today is the first day of winter so in the northern hemisphere we have the least amount of daylight. As a person who loves a bright sunny day this is not my favourite day of the year. Thankfully the holidays make you so busy that you don't really notice how little the sun is up. The hard part is getting through the first part of January. At least we have turned the corner and there will be more daylight everyday for the next year.

It has snowed a lot in Ottawa this year and it's stayed cold enough that it is sticking around. There will not be a lot of sunlight to warm things up and melt the snow so its best to find ways to enjoy it.

Snow can make for beautiful photos, especially in the sunshine.

Snow means you can ski, or toboggan, or build a snowman.

Snow can be mesmerizing, especially the big fluffy flakes when the sun is low in the sky.

I will admit that winter is my least favourite season but there are still some really cool things about it. The way things are going we may have a very long season on the Rideau Canal, which I must admit is a great place to go on a winter day.

The climb out of the cold darkness of winter to the re-birth of spring is exciting and unpredictable. It takes two steps forward and three back. It's always something to talk about and on the first day that really feels like spring, it's a moment everyone will enjoy every year.

Today is the shortest day of the year but that only means that good things are coming our way, and as long as there are good things coming, we have a great reason to get up and seize the day.