Thursday, December 22, 2011

Glad Yule!




It's that time of year again, when the days are short and the nights are long, when the snow falls and the winds blow cold and hard. And in the dark and cold we light candles and gather around the fire to drink hot drinks and sing carols with melodious voices to lure the Sun back north again. It's my favorite time of year; I love the snow and tramping in the snow, coming home to warmth. A blessed Yule to all!

It snowed enough here in Central PA last Winter to get some good snow pictures for this year's traditional (well, it's my tradition, anyhow) slide show. The music is by the late Johnny Cunningham - "King Holly, King Oak", from the Windham Hill sampler Celtic Christmas. It's set up like one of my Winter hikes - tramping around in the snow and at last coming home to a fire in the stove (although I've moved into my own apartment now and there isn't a fire any more. Oh well...). Enjoy!


And speaking of traditions, I think I started a new one a couple of years ago. I'm making the posting of the video of Jethro Tull's "Ring Out, Solstice Bells" part of the annual Solstice post. Enjoy!


Photos & text © 2011 by A. Roy Hilbinger

6 comments:

  1. I love the furniture that's outside and covered with snow! And it's always great to hear Tull. Other than "Aqualung," they don't seem to exist any more on the radio!

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  2. Happy Winter Solstice to you too! We didn't get to celebrate it this year. We always have a Solstice dinner with my family, but the first time ever, everyone was sick. It felt strange not having our traditional dinner...not to mention it was 60 degrees out! Enjoyed the video...

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  3. Have A Bloody Brilliant Holiday Sir! Regards From Blighty!

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  4. Thanks for the snow show. Haven't seen a flake down here, this season.
    "...melodious voices to lure the Sun back north again." Now THAT's a spirit I can feel! ;-)
    And thanks for the Tull. Good tradition.
    Happy Yule to you and yours, Roy.

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  5. I just read the Daily Quote. Sounds like a contemporary commentary. One guy or many, that Lao knew his Tao. Eh?

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