A Peaceful Solstice

Kelly Church, Magdalena Mountains, NM, Dec. 2010

The full lunar eclipse very early this morning was only occasionally visible because of moderate cloud cover, but I did get a few glimpses through occasional breaks in the clouds and also noticed the eerie silence that fell as totality began. I had no illusions of getting a great photo given the limitations of my 55-200mm lens (which I might sell), not to mention the inconsistent view of the moon, which kind of took the pressure off and allowed me to just enjoy it.
This morning Dad and I took Lucy to the vet and listened carefully as he described a surgery that essentially involves rebuilding tendons and ligaments, and will help her mobility a lot. The healing time isn't as bad as I thought it might be, so she'll be able to do gentle walks through the winter and (fingers crossed) start hiking with me as I gear up for my summer "quest for the crest" or whatever it will be. Is it possible to hike the whole crestline of the Magdalena Mountains? There's only one way to find out....

Winter Solstice is always such a relief for me. The sun finally stops slipping away, pauses, and slowly returns a bit more every day. Our weather has been quite mild and lovely -- in the 50s and sometimes 60s most days lately -- so the loss of light hasn't hit me as hard as it usually does. Hiking always helps my mood, too, and after more than two weeks of sitting on my butt (to finish coursework) I was aching to hit the trail and let everything else fall away. My hikes on Sunday and today were a bit lonely but now my heart has eased considerably, and I can look forward again to hikes with my best and truest companion.