Here at Otter Creek, the shortest days of the year hit right around December 21. On those days, we only get about eight and a half hours of daylight. That’s not much time for the sun to do its thing, especially when clouds roll in and the snow piles up.
But once the solstice passes, something big happens—daylight starts coming back.
Over the next 60 days, we will gain a little more than two hours of daylight. That might not sound like much at first, but you can really notice it by mid to late January. The sun comes up earlier, and it hangs around longer in the evening. Supper doesn’t feel quite so rushed, and evening feeding chores don’t always finish in the dark.
The change isn’t even, either. Right after the solstice, the days only get longer by a few seconds at a time. It feels slow. Then, as January rolls on, the minutes start adding up faster. By February, the extra light is hard to miss.
That extra daylight does more than just brighten the sky. It lifts the mood. Deer move a little more in the evenings. The woods don’t feel quite so closed in. Even cold days feel more manageable when the sun sticks around longer.
Winter isn’t over by any means—not even close—but gaining daylight is a reminder that the seasons are always moving. No matter how long the nights feel, the sun is already on its way back.
And out here at Otter Creek, that makes a big difference.