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Soon after midwinter, the sun began to return, rising higher in the sky each day. Coincidentally, on my birthday the sun rose completely for the first time after the midwinter darkness. This was the first time I had seen the whole sun for almost a month. That day it rose from behind the lump of Welch Island and as it came out from behind it I couldn't help but think that the sun was shouting to me "I'm back! and here's my birthday present for you!"..
I had never really quite appreciated the value of natural sunlight until that day when the sun returned. It is as if sunlight has the ability to press buttons in our subconscious like no other. I sat for an hour or so looking out a window watching the sun and feeling it's heat on my face - full of inner peace, happiness and warmth.
As the ice breaks off, parts of it are collected and we use it in drinks in the Red Shed bar. When blue ice is put into warm water the ancient air bubbles are released with a snap crackle and pop. It's a sobering thought that the air being released could have easily been captured at the same time that the Roman Civilisation flourished. Watching the lights of winter I can not help thinking that it is the time that nature reaches for the light dimmer, pulls down the shades and mixes up the pastels for a hard core session of colour therapy. Words cannot really describe the feeling of standing on the sea ice and looking around at the sky and the ice but at least pictures can capture part of the feeling.
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