Winter arrived this morning at 9:11 A.M., Pacific Standard Time. This afternoon sunset was at 4:22 P.M. With sunrise at 7:55 A.M., we had a total of 8 hours, 27 minutes of sunlight in our shortest day of the year (though one would have had to fly above the clouds, mist, and rain to see the sun).

Tomorrow, sunset is at 4:23 P.M. Days have no begun to get longer again. And that will be good – I need to get back out on the water. December has been a bust in terms of fly-fishing; though to be fair the dark busy days of December tend to be that way for many. I talked to the guys down at the Gig Harbor Fly Shop and they’ve not heard of too many getting out.

My stitches were taken out on December 2nd after my wide local excision – see my last post, but I was still under doctor’s orders to go easy on the left arm until December 16th. It made my workouts tough – basically leaving me to work legs and lungs. And then it got cold and windy. Even more reason to stay warm inside and listen to Christmas music.

Maybe that’s what December is really about – a time to appreciate the season, family, and memories of all the good this season has to offer (and I’m not talking the 7×24 shopping orgy).