Crescent moon and sunset afterglow, midwinter.
Taken while cross-country skiing out in the woods near Aviemore. Although it was long after sunset (about mid-afternoon…) the sky was bright and the snow reflecting the pinks and purples lit my way home.
The Highlands have been in a Scandinavian weather system all week, with temperatures down to -16C and fresh snow most days. We currently have 12″ or more snow out in the garden, and much more on the mountains.
The rest of the country may be in travel chaos, but I’ve been so enjoying being on my skis every day and being out in this wonderful country!
The brightness of the snow transforms the midwinter darkness. At midwinter our sunrise (if the sun manages to make his way over the cloud edging the mountains) is about 9:45am and sunset behind the crag of Craigellachie is around 2:15pm (or half an hour later for those living on the other side of the valley). We really don’t have an afternoon, just a very long evening!
The moon will be full on thursday, New Year’s eve – and is a Blue moon (the second full moon of a calendar month).
Having worked the subject around to New Year – may yours be joyful and prosperous and increasingly wonderful! Happy New Year!
“The energy and space around a material are as important as the energy and space within. The weather – rain, sun, snow, hail, mist, calm – is that external space made visible. When I touch a rock, I am touching and working the space around it. “
– Andy Goldsworthy, Landscape artist, ‘A collaboration with nature’.
Have a good year!