Summer is on the way.
 

Today- in the UK- was the shortest day of the year. From now on the days will get longer and more time for riding.

Actually here in Lincoln, while we have already gained 3 minutes in the evening already, we still have 4 minutes to loose in the morning. It wont be until Jan 13 that we gain more light in the morning.

An engineer I knew (who liked to do bike trips to France every summer) once explained that this was called "hysterisis" (or something to that effect), the result of the earth being tilted on its axis...

L.

Oh man! I wish you hadn't told me that.

I drive a school bus near St Louis. During this time of year I'm picking up high school students in the dark of night. They all pretty much wear dark colored clothes so, if they don't happen to be standing where my headlights shine, it's easy to miss one. I'm looking forward to an earlier dawn.

You can print off a sunrise/sunset calendar for your location at http://www.sunrisesunset.com/

Here in Vancouver, Canada, the shortest days are Dec 20 thru 24 (8 hours 11 min long) with sunrise at 8:04 and sunset at 16:15 on the 20th, then both moving later in lockstep thru the 24th, until sunrise starts stabilizing, but still later until Jan 4, where its advance finally ends and then starts to get earlier. So the days actually start to get longer at both ends by about the second week of January. But the afternoons do start to get longer at about Dec. 22/23. Yippee!

L.

Hallaleluia!!!

I tell my wife this every year on the solstace, she thinks I'm nuts!

IDK, it was 19ºC here today. I don't need it any warmer, anytime of year.

Can't wait!
R

Let us celebrate the Solstice and be merry!

I wonder if Freemont does a Winter Solstice Ride....like they do the Summer Solstice.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x...ndar_maya1.jpg

For us worshipers of Kinich Ahau, the Mayan sun god, these times are special indeed. We sacrificed a goat on our alter in the back yard yesterday.

First day of winter 72ºF (22ºC) here in South Carolina (southeast US).

Wow! I bet there's not a goat in the entire state for you to get treatment like that from the gods.

It may be the first day of winter but it doesn't feel like it. Temps have been in the mid 60s to low 70s (17 to 22C) for the past few days. Too bad it has rained for the past 3+ days. The rain is supposed to end tonight so maybe I can ride tomorrow. :)

Knowing that the days will be lengthening is a major mental pick-me-up. Thanks Stapfam!

Looking forward to the increasingly later sundowns, especially on March 11th when we'll gain 61 minutes in one day!