And … Happy shortest day of the year! More daylight from here on out! 
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The solstice came grey and damp - the sun rose as expected but unseen through the clouds.
I watched the live feed from Stonehenge on YouTube, it seemed oddly appropriate.
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Winter solstice always makes me happy.
At least in the middle of deep, dark February I can convince myself that the days are really getting longer.
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Being a guy that vastly prefers warmer months to colder months, this makes me happy. Our three kids seem to be putting roots down here; if it wasn’t for that, there would be a “for sale” sign in my front yard. I say that somewhat tongue-in-cheek. We have a lot of friends here, and most of my clients are here; but I do find myself fantasizing about living some place warmer every year when winter rolls around.
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My brother is now a “Snowbird” He and the Mrs. take off for 2 months right after Christmas. They have a whole series of friends they see on their way down to Florida. Then they spend a few weeks in The Villages. The pictures of the wonderful weather whilst we freeze is quite envy inducing lol 
Meanwhile in Upstate NY …
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You live in an area where the winters aren’t typically terribly cold — or at least not consistently freezing — but I share your view of the cold and snow.
All the things I like to do outdoors in my area are difficult in the winter. In January, the temperatures don’t rise above freezing very often. We can’t count on temperatures getting up into the low 40s F until the end of February. I can’t ride my bike (it is too cold, and road ice is dangerous). I can’t ride my motorcycle for the same reason. I can’t hike in the hills and mountains because there’s too much snow. I can’t ride my UTV until later in the spring because there’s too much snow on the ground and even when it melts, it’s too muddy. I can’t go camping or backpacking because of the cold and snow.
I could, of course, learn to ski, but the hundred-plus-dollar lift tickets aren’t appealing. Besides, I don’t like boards strapped to my feet, even for cross-country skiing. Using snowshoes on snow is like wading through deep mud, but I do it at least once per season, which is just enough to remind me how much more I would enjoy walking those same mountain trails in the summer.
For example, the attached photo was taken by a friend of mine. It’s a photo shot yesterday in Salt Lake City (today is exactly the same). Other than when a snowstorm blows in, the city will look like this on most days until the second half of February.
In other words, winter sucks — it’s the season for grumpy cabin fever. If it weren’t for my wife refusing to move, I would have already abandoned the smoggy winter hellhole of Salt Lake City for someplace several hundred miles to the south. Prescott, Arizona, for example, is not too hot or cold, but with just enough seasonal differences to keep the weather from getting boring.
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It was a proper bone-chiller of a day here, the kind where you question all your life choices as soon as you step outside. I couldn’t help but think about how much worse it must have been in Stonehenge or Newgrange times. Imagine gathering to celebrate the shortest day of the year, basically throwing a party because “yay, the sun might stick around a bit longer soon!” All while freezing your woolly mammoth socks off, just so you could farm more and not completely run out of turnips.
Meanwhile, I’m out walking the dog, both of us kitted out like we’re on an Arctic expedition. Me - fleece-lined jacket, gloves, hat, and tracksuit bottoms that could double as a sleeping bag. The dog strutting in his little tartan fleece jacket, looking like he’s about to start a punk band. And thank goodness for modern convenience a little café truck saved the day with a hot mug of soup to warm my very soul (and cockles, whatever they are).
It made me think how easy we’ve got it compared to the hardy souls of the past. They didn’t have the luxury of fleece or mobile soup vans, just stones in a circle and a deep sense of “let’s hope we don’t freeze to death before spring.” So, a shoutout to our ancestors for toughing it out and laying the groundwork for tartan dog coats, modern plumbing, and, most importantly, roadside soup.
Here’s to those who came before us, and may we keep paying it forward. Cheers to the future ideally with central heating and soup trucks and whatever else the future brings!
Here’s an AI picture of an stone written in Irish and the ancient Irish language Ogham - no idea if it’s right - but a bit of fun
Nollaig Shona agus Athbhliain faoi Mhaise Duit’ (Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year)
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Without really knowing how, I find that the solstices have become more meaningful to me as I get older.
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I also pay attention to solstices and equinoxes — especially the vernal equinox. For me, it’s a waypoint that says spring has gained the upper hand over my nemesis — winter.
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I have been to Malaysia, Indonesia, Hawaii and Florida before coming home to Austria for Christmas.
My happy zone is definitely the warm shores of the sea. I count every day until it gets warmer here.
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