thanks Bobert, for this thread!

In Sydney, we will be having our winter solstice. the sun will rise at 7am and set at 4.54pm on Tuesday June 21, our shortest day of the year. We will receive only nine hours and 54 minutes of sunlight - 44 per cent less than the longest day of the year on December 21.

so I'm glad when the 22nd comes, for two reasons.

1. the day starts getting longer, and the sunlight will return.

2. its my father's birthday, and although he has been dead for over ten years, this day is very special to me. he was a wonderful man, and a very good father.

on Sunday we had the Winter Magic festival in the Blue Mountains, a couple of hours inland from Sydney. This is a celebration of the winter solstice, with music, theatre and a wonderful parade!

freda