I like the Winter Solstice very very much. I look forward to it from the end of May, as the days get shorter and shorter. I love the fact that from the Winter Solstice the days will get longer and longer. Yay!

our view at 4:30 pm on June 21

We have a tradition for Winter Solstice. Although we’re not quite into skinny dipping in ice pools or midnight nudie runs by candlelight, we do have the tradition of getting dirty … by planting garlic.

Yesterday, which was a delightfully sunny, mild day of about 15 degrees, we must have planted at least 100 garlic cloves. They are going to grow alongside and amongst a lot of broad bean plants (a few months ago we re-landscaped the backyard, but that’s another story). We’ll probably plant more bulbs, but 100 or so cloves should yield plenty of garlic – enough for a year’s supply with plenty to plant next June.

Here’s to longer days! The promise of spring! I’m not complaining about our weather though. It has been beautiful and sunny, and not really very cold. I guess the real Tassie winter will set in soon enough…