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Where did 2012 go? With fewer than 36 hours left this year I slow down to reflect on another busy year. Overshadowed by ancient predictions 2012 did not live up to the Mayan prediction that it would mark the end of the world.

My birthday falls between Christmas and New Years and offers a strong reason to reflect… Another year older, and hopefully another year wiser – whatever it may mean! Looking back, this year was filled with experiences that encompass a wide range of experiences both professional and personal. Each of these experiences lays the groundwork for the future, beginning today and leading into 2013.

I don’t spent time formulating New Year’s resolutions, I simply make sure that I have outstanding projects completed so that I may direct all my attention to new ideas, goals and projects as of January 1st. This practice has served me well for many years and with one last project almost finished I am on track again this year.

The slide show images were taken yesterday, shortly after sunrise. The phenomenon is referred to as a sun dog. These are not a rare occurrence, I have seen them across Canada fall, winter and spring always in the sky. However, the December 29th sun dog/ solar pillar was very different: At first I thought it was a fire in the distance, upon closer inspection I realized that it was a sun dog that “connected” with the landscape, a more apt term here is solar pillar. It was bright red, and so very unusual. I grabbed my camera, pulled on my jacket, jumped  into my boots and ran outside, hoping all the while that the color would not fade. By the time I reached the lake front several minutes had passed and the deep red that caught my attention was much less intense. I set the camera to manual and began capturing the light show.

The experience stayed with me, sparked the need to reflect, journal about it and embark on another Google search before creating today’s post:

On www.searchdictionaies.com I found this: According to Mayan mythology we humans are born on Earth through the dark rift … This reflects the pronouncements of today’s day keepers … that we are quickly approaching the end of the Fourth Creation … Some Native Americans say that sun dogs will be visible … The sun dog rainbow will be a strong omen, indicating that it is time to share ‘medicine’ with all all who come to learn.

Another definition: A sun dog is an atmospheric phenomenon that creates bright spots of light in the sky, often on a luminous ring or halo on either side of the sun. Sun dogs may appear as a colored patch of light to the left or right of the sun, 22° distant and at the same distance above the horizon as the sun, and in ice halos.

Last but not least, one source sharing weather lore claims: Sun dogs predict rain or snow within 24 hours.

We had light snow this morning!

Wishing all of you a chance to reflect on your 2012 experiences and Health, Happiness and Prosperity for 2013!

30 Dec This entry was published on December 30, 2012 at 1:09 pm. It’s filed under Journaling, Nature photography, Nature's Art and tagged looking toward 2013, Photography, solar pillar, sun dogs, year end reflections. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.