Winter Solstice and the Christmas Trees

Winter solstice today, so no going anywhere — the shortest day in Truckee, snow stacked on every branch outside, and the trees inside doing the work of keeping things bright.

We've ended up with several this year. The big pine got the dried orange slices and cranberry garland, plus the little candle lights that look right on the long needles. Another tree carries the glass ornaments and the wooden bead garland, standing in its corner by the bookshelf. And the small potted pine in the window wears a Michigan scarf, with the stuffed Santa in his maize-and-blue sweater keeping watch from the sill behind it. Go Blue, apparently, even at Christmas.

The last one is all birds and animals — an owl, a polar bear, red cardinals tucked into the branches — with a train track circling the base and nothing running on it yet.

Dark by late afternoon, but the days get longer from here. The orange slices have already started curling at the edges.