Nearing Winter Solstice

We are down to 9 hours and 28 minutes of sunlight today in Maryland, as we approach the shortest day of the year on December 21. Actually, that is a day I look forward to, since it means the days will finally start getting longer again! It also explains why I usually get depressed at the Summer Solstice, because that means the days will be getting shorter. But the sun is shining brightly now in a pale blue sky, and I saw a red-bellied woodpecker in our yard this morning. Thank goodness for birds to brighten up the winter landscape! This is actually a pileated woodpecker my son photographed recently in our yard -- they are very cool and huge!