Solstice

Photographing

Just received news that our oldest emeritus prof. Frederik Manns died in his room this morning. No idea what was the cause. But he was 80 yrs old. And the weather has been very very cold. Tomorrow will be the funeral. Over here there is no funeral wake or prayers. It's burial within 24 hours. No embalming.

As I said, the weather is freezing cold. The rains have long left but the cold is here to stay. I noticed the weather report predict rains for the weekend. Well, it's winter, so let it rain. Lots of floods all over the country but we can get by.

Yesterday was the winter solstice. The moon was full. Days will begin to get longer in preparation for summer again. You can judge the change of seasons by the call to prayer of the muezzin. In summer the earliest call is 2.30am and winter it's 4.50am. That's how I judge the seasons ... by the first call to prayer.

I'm feeling better today. But not totally. I'll still need a couple more days to recover fully. Bloated, pain and nausea. While walking to work this morning, I was dizzy and luckily did not faint or fall. The stone pavements are very slippery when wet from the rain and dew. Going home is more dangerous as it's downhill. I'll be extra careful.