A horrendous tragedy happened to an old schoolfriend recently, and it's made me feel very sombre about Christmas. The lack of light we have at this time of year doesn't help. I wish I could just fly away to a sunny place for a while. But the hillwalks I do cheer me up so much, as does going to the climbing centre, especially when my climbing friends are around. Even if I'm in a glum mood when I go there, I always have a big smile on my face when I get back.
I'll enjoy Christmas Day with the family, but I'll be off on a hillwalk on Boxing Day (the 26th Dec). And I always look forward to the solstice, which is tomorrow, because the days start to get longer after that.