Solstice is the celebration of breaking the back of winter. -Gypsy

Gypsy, I liked that. I've never liked Winter Solstice, but you cause me to think again. When I was a kid in Wisconsin, November and December were my least-favorite months, because everything was grey - no snow, and no green, and no blue in the sky. Here in Sacramento, it's much the same - except that we get fog, too.
I think I'll have to change my perspective now. Solstice may be the bottom - but right after that, the skies get clear and the snow covers the ground. The grass is already starting to get green here, but the fog won't let me see the snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains yet. The rains will come soon, and our bird population will multiply a hundredfold when they all come here for their winter vacation. I notice our neighborhood turkey population has doubled - we have 8 "regulars" in the neighborhood now.
I guess that give us a reason to hope for a lot of good things, huh?
-Joe-