Sun & winter

This has been a strange winter so far. At first it was warm, than it got really cold, and some places got a nice, not to thick blanket of snow. This kind of weather stayed all the way to the New Years. Back home we even got snowy Christmas. It almost felt as past winters when we didn't have to think about global warming, and all that mattered to us kids was the amount of snow it would fall. As these things usually go the winter didn't stay like that- SW winds brought us warmer weather and rain, and snow blanket soon vanished.
The constant in Ljubljana this winter was virtually no sun. As people who live/lived here know- Ljubljana is tucked in a valley surrounded on all sides by mountains and hills. Which means, that it's often cursed with temperature inversions and fog/low clouds in late autumn and winter. This winter it was especially bad- there were only few days when clouds and fog gave way to some sunshine. You almost get to understand the depressions and other psychological problems cause by light-deprivation in countries near the pole regions. The scientific explanation is, that due to the lack of sunshine not enough of vitamin D can be produced (vitamin D is being produced in skin exposed to sunlight), which in turn causes several health problems including depression. Due to the long nights in winter, working in offices just worsens effects.

Anyways- luckily for us, the sun is winning again. Even in Ljubljana. Yesterday and today were two glorious cloudless days. Wind finally chased the fog, and with days getting longer we finally got a privilege to come from work without the need of artificial lighting. And even have a nice walk outside...
The winter didn't give up yet. It doesn't have to- it's still January, and I'm still hoping for some more snow. But even snowless winter days are so much nicer with that bright orange sphere up there in the sky. You just get a taste of what's to come. Until than- bon hiver people...