Before the Solstice

Pileated Woodpecker

At this time of year Ottawa receives just under nine hours of daylight each day and the days are still getting shorter. There is barely any light in the sky when I leave home at 7:30 in the morning or work at 4:30 in the afternoon, and there have been more overcast days this month than sunny ones. With only a few days of sun so far this December, it is literally the darkest time of the year.

A little bit of snow and freezing rain earlier this week has laid down a thin, white, icy crust on the lawns and woodland trails that bears little resemblance to the “winter wonderland” of song. Enough grass is visible on some streets that it doesn’t even look like winter, although with the temperature today rising to only -6°C, it sure feels like it.