Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Friday's the day

End of October but it sure looked like Christmas
I'm sure that most of you have heard that the Mayan Long Count calendar says that this Friday is the last day of the calendar, or "The End of the World." (The link takes you to a Huffington Post article about why we seem to be so interested end-of-world scenarios. It's a practice almost as old as humanity.) It also happens to be the 2012 Winter Solstice, which will occur at 3:12am here on the Pacific coast. I'll be asleep when it occurs, but I will be rejoicing that the days will stop getting shorter and will imperceptibly gain a little light every day. Tomorrow will be 12 seconds shorter than today.

I find it fascinating that as the earth moves around the sun in its annual path, the days closest to the winter solstice get shorter and shorter until here in the Seattle area our days are so short that the sun comes up around 8:00am and goes down a little after 4:00pm. But in the summer, the sun comes up a little after 5:00am and goes down after 9:00pm. I sometimes think what it must be like up there near the Arctic Circle where the sun doesn't come up at all in the winter and doesn't go down in the summer! Want to know what happens in your area? I found this time and date calculator on line, which can be modified for the month and location. It's pretty cool.

Just in case the Mayans are right and the world ends on Friday, I'm hoping it won't be until after my massage. And it's a good thing I took the above picture already, since it sure looks a lot like Christmas. I woke to snowflakes falling this morning, but mostly it's been rain. I think I'll be writing a new post on Thursday, but you never know.
:-)

22 comments:

  1. Beautiful picture. But it makes me shiver just looking at it. Worldwide, there's a movement underfoot for millions of us to meditate, unite, pray, at for 12 minutes on 12/21 at 11:11 UT for peace. A tipping point. We're putting up a video early friday morning that explains it.

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  2. i hope you get that massage in time...funny i was talking to one of my students today about it...and the way i look at it, if it happens nothing i can do...and if it doesnt, life goes on...so there is no loss for me...smiles.

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  3. That is a beautiful photo!
    We had a little snow here this morning, just enough to feel Christmassy without hindering traffic much.
    I am looking forward to the solstice. It was the original reason for having a December holiday, and is still a very good reason for the pagan me to celebrate! End of the world? Bah humbug!

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  4. Great! This post made me chuckle. For some reason, I never pay attention to these end of the world scenarios. Been there, done that -- and it never comes true! Remember the big to-do over the beginning of a new millenium? Sheesh! Enough already! I'll die when I am good and ready.

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  5. I will be back on Friday to read your post. I don't put any stock in nonsense.:)

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  6. I love your photo.
    Since we are a little ahead of you timewise, if you receive no comments from me - the end is nigh. Or perhaps it isn't.
    Snow would be heaven. I am waiting for our summer solstice, though it will take until March before it cools down enough for me.
    If I don't drop in before hand - Merry Christmas to you and yours - you are an inspiration to me.

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  7. Ah, soltice. I'm ready for the light!

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  8. You could make many posts on the dooms day topic.
    Today our sun set at 4:23 . Yesterday it was 4:22 so we've started to gain in the PM In the morning we've still got three more minutes to lose.
    Cool photo at the beginning.

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  9. That photo looks like Christmas to me too, Jan. Beautiful!

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  10. well, i hope you get that massage in, too. :)

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  11. We're just going to flip a "page," and the Mayan long calendar starts over. It's just as we do at the end of December. No big deal. My biggest question — what Sunday's weather is going to be like.

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  12. I have to wonder how many people have put their Christmas shopping on hold until Saturday, figuring they shouldn't be spending their last days at the mall. ;)

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  13. I need to find myself an "end of the world" party to go to Friday night! Two of my English students told me yesterday they were going to one... could be fun! ;o)

    That photo is gorgeous! Definitely looks a lot like Christmas! :o)

    I hope the world doesn't end on Friday, or at least not 'till after your massage DJan! Oh, and after my sister gets here from New Zealand! :p

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  14. Your photo does look like Christmas. We saw a few tiny flakes today but like you we have had rain.

    I'm looking forward to Winter Solstice and longer days too. If the world really does end on Friday I'm going to be bummed about all the time I spent in line at the post office today. LOL!

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  15. What a lovely photo DJan. We all know our world is changing and weather, etc patterns change and shift all the time. Every country in the world suffers some kind of change - so, what wiped out the dinos....what changed this or that? Changes happen, some good, some bad. I don't worry about it and I look forward to reading your next post, so just get your little fingers busy on the keyboard and pump out another great post. Its snowing hard n heavy here this morning and the weather man predicted rain? DUH? Watch out snow - angels.....here we come. Have a great day.

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  16. Well, I hope come Friday...the day after...you and I will still be around.

    Greetings!!!

    Just popping in this morning to send along my wishes to you and yours...that you have a very happy holiday season.

    Will see you again in 2013, when I return to blogging after my hiatus, enjoying the company of my sister from Colorado. I haven't seen her in nearly 10 years. This will be a treat.

    Happy Holidays...love Anni

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  17. I checked out your link to find we are having 7hrs and 49mins of daylight at the moment. I too am happy the winter solstice is almost upon us and the daylight begins to slowly increase.

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  18. the photo is so pretty
    I love the splashes of red in all the green and white

    I keep forgetting about the 21st, I'm not much of an end-of-worlder although reading what some others think can be amusing

    giant hugs from me and Hope
    I show her your posts/pics
    she calls you "that lady that flies out of planes"

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  19. Well, if it's the end I am going out all organized for 2013--ROFL! And I might meet my end at PetSmart. ;)

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  20. I'm glad you are having a massage before this cataclysmic event. I think I will try to do the same. We might as well face the end of the world fully relaxed.

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  21. Even though I know it's not really the end of the world, it still felt weird to think so many people believe it. It's now the 20th over here but it's already tomorrow in Australia and Japan. Therefore, I'm going to breathe a sigh of relief. Otherwise, I'm going to feel bad that I didn't just pay the big bucks and see that musical we were planning to see yesterday.

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  22. From the time I first heard the myh I was sure that's what it was and now that's confirmed. We will continue the rotations as before:)

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