Winter Solstice

It was 3 degrees outside when I arose this morning - Lucy and Pepper don't have coats or sweaters to wear in extremely cold weather, so they'll have their walk a little later, when it warms up a bit outside. The weather folks are saying we'll stay below freezing until Christmas Day, when we might reach 42; and on Boxing Day we're expecting another Arctic front. - And on Boxing Day I start taking care of Rosie and Remy again.

The big news here is the Continental flight that slid off/flew-and-crashed at DIA yesterday evening. There were 110 passengers and 5 crew aboard; no fatalities, but 58 people have been treated and/or are in the hospital with "minor injuries." Investigations have just started; but the 737's nose apparently rose off the runway, but the plane only made it into a ravine just past the runway. The landing gear was sheared off, the right wing burst into flames (and the heat was so intense that it completely melted the overhead luggage bins on that side), and, also, apparently, the left engine sheared off its' wing, too (this is according to local newscasts). Most injuries, it seems, occurred when the escape slides deployed and people slid down them... because the landing gear was gone, and the because the plane was lying on its belly in the ravine, the slides stopped moving people about half-way down (due to lack of height at that angle), and the poor folks piled into one another - causing a lot of neck and back sprains. Again, all this is according to the local NBC news channel...

I didn't sleep well last night - the Wilbur Smith book, The Sunbird, is extremely fascinating and it seems my sleeping mind kept stirring the pot. If you like archaeology and historical exploration, as well as a bit of political intrigue, you will be enthralled with this book. It is set in Africa, mostly in Botswana, and it involves the finding of a site from 2000 years ago, that "proves" that there was a race of men (possibly Carthaginians) that established a kingdom in south-central Africa. - It has bits and pieces of true archaeology in it, and is very well written, taking a lot of native African myths and weaving them into a shining tapestry of history...

I'm looking forward to seeing my two kits today, and giving and receiving love. Then it's off to the Solstice gathering, and then back here to Lucy and Pepper. There was a beautiful cottontail in the garden this morning, and I had to convince Lucy not to chase it. Pepper never even noticed the critter. There are a lot of birds, squirrels, fox, skunk, and cottontails out here. They are gorgeous! - And today, at 5:04 this morning, the Winter Solstice occurred - it's the shortest day of the year, and we're celebrating with "light snacks," instead of fresh venison, roasted cattle and pigs, and baked roots and veggies, and barrels full of small ale.