Last week was a tough week, locally, nationally and internationally.  An awful lot going on, much of it sad, heavy stuff.  

Locally, we had some difficult weather that was very anticipated as storminess tracked  up from the south and in from the west, switching gears from deep cold to 50F, rain and strong winds, then back again as a cold front worked in. The coldest December in decades! Not as cold as the record setting December of 1989 which jarred us statewide with an average temperature of just 5F. Jeeez!  Glad I don’t remember that. My personal thermostat has had a real difficult time adjusting to the cold this year. Not sure what that’s all about but it’s not being solved by more clothing. One grand solution is our glowing wood stove, which we share with our pup Leica, each of us vying for space!

On the weather front, I admit to central nervous system disruptions from the winds. We have way too many leaning big trees close to the house and barn. The noises that accompany big winds seem to have special access to the back corners of my mind — window glass rattles, old gutter clanging, our furry friend barking at the thrashing wind chimes, roofing material being rearranged.  

Fortunately an important section of roofing got replaced by yours truly and our wonderful sons-in-law a couple years ago. So far it has held up pretty well but seriously tested by winds from certain directions. I always check the grounds around the house after a big blow to see what shingle types have been distributed about the property. Quite unsettling.

Photographically, I have little to share regarding current snow scenes since I was unable to grab much time when snow arrived. So far there haven’t been many opportunities, at least that I have managed to capture. Therefore,  back to the archives. And my choice from 10 years ago is a view of Ram Island Light from Fisherman’s Island. It was the year the snowy owls visited the area. I was lucky enough to be invited to observe and gratefully photograph a snowy that was chasing voles which were also plentiful. No vole photos though.

The lighthouse view was from an interesting vantage which I had never experienced. Looking toward the south side of Ram, on an elevated bluff, the lighthouse property settled nicely in front of a backdrop of Ocean Point. It was a fun visit but very chilly which did not allow for long bare skin exposure to work the camera, nor did the camera appreciate the low temperature and wind. It was a limited exploration.

On a more positive note, we are now, inch by inch, beginning to gain minutes of daylight. Yay! 

The 4 o’clock diminished daylight is on its way to 4:30 and beyond. It's a process, I know, but one that is welcomed, knowing that all of winter still lies ahead. Fingers crossed for a January thaw. Happy Solstice everyone! And as my old buddy Lonny Sisson used to say, “Hang onto the riggin'."