The winter solstice is one of the two times each year that the Sun is at its farthest point from the equator and appears to stand still. The word solstice is derived from the Latin sol, or “Sun,” and stitium, or “stoppage.”
The Halcyon Days also occur around this time. According to ancient legend, a grieving wife named Halcyon threw herself into the sea upon discovering the drowned body of her beloved husband, Ceyx. The gods took pity on the pair, transforming them into kingfishers, or halcyons, with the power to still the stormy seas for 14 days near the time of the winter solstice while they hatched their young.”
Where does one find a black-tailed deer in the United States?
The black-tailed deer, a subspecies of the mule deer, is primarily found in the Pacific Northwest. Stockier than the white-tailed deer, it is mostly yellow to reddish brown in summer, and the upper side of its tail is black.
Advice of the Day
To defeat sleepless nights, try as hard as possible to stay awake; you’ll soon be asleep.
Home Hint of the Day
End-grain wood is tough to plane. Hold the plane firmly on the end grain with the blade (make sure it’s very sharp) at an angle to the board. Work alternately from each side to the middle, or you may chip one side when you’re pushing out on it.
Word of the Day
Nevada
Means “snowcapped” in Spanish
Puzzle of the Day
What is lengthened by being cut at both ends?
A ditch
Died
Giovanni Boccaccio(poet)–
Marc Connelly(playwright)–
Born
Jane Fonda(actress)–
Samuel L. Jackson(actor)–
Ray Romano(comedian & actor)–
Kiefer Sutherland(actor)–
Events
Mackenzie Bowell became Canada’s 5th Prime Minister–
The first crossword puzzle was printed in a NY newspaper–
Pianist Vladimir Horowitz wed Wanda Toscanini–
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered at the Carthay Circle Theater in Hollywood, California. It was the first animated feature-length film with sound and color–
Weather
A four-day snowstorm began in Portland, Oregon–
A storm in Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana brought 26 inches of snow to Hillsboro, Texas–
