Christmas is coming!!

Er, is it??

It may just be me, but I'm not seeing many signs. I mean, lights are going up, Newland Avenue is looking suitably festive - or else, it would be, but the sun is hining, some trees even still have leaves, and winter seems just as far away as ever. It's mid-December, and it should be cold, wet, windy and horrible. But it isn't. How odd.

Side note: Did you know that while it's winter, we're closer to the sun that any other time of year. I discovered (though reading a book!) that it's colder not because we're tilting away form the Sun at this time of year, but that we're tilting *towards* it! The angle is such that light rays are being scattered across the northerm hemisphere and are reflecting/bouncing off. Just the kind of fact that does your head in. ;-)