By Teresa Smith.

It’s December on San Juan Island and if it wasn’t for Christmas lights there wouldn’t be any light at all.

It is 5:30 in the afternoon and I am thinking it must be bedtime. It’s been dark for two hours already. Hold out until 7:30. Watch Netflix until I fall asleep ten minutes later. Get up at dawn – 8:30 a.m. Nothing like a good 13 hours sleep to feel refreshed.

People are out there stocking up for the holidays and buying Peso’s while they are at it.

I’m not so quick to fold. I like the long nights. Not as much to do. The garden is asleep, it is too windy to ride, the fences are fixed, and the decks are stained. I feel more inclined to sit by the fire for no reason at all. I call it a day early afternoon, go for a hike in the woods. What happens though, is 2 miles in I realize it will be dark as pitch when I get back to my truck. I like the adventure of it.

I love that I am awake for the sunrises and can see the moonrise more often than not. The stars are triumphant and the night sky ever a mystery.

I welcome the rain, wind and if I am lucky, maybe even snow. I embrace the dark long nights and foster a practice of rest, sleep and nurturing after a busy constructive year. It is time to regenerate and refresh, then restart in the spring for another stellar year.

To learn more about Teresa Smith, visit https://www.teresasmith.com/, or https://www.instagram.com/teresasmithart/.