I walked past Swamp Rabbit’s shack yesterday and heard him grumbling about the early darkness as he tried to install a gigantic inflatable Santa Claus out front.

“Quit complaining,” I said. “Yesterday was the winter solstice. That means we might get about thirty seconds more daylight today than we got yesterday. We might even get some sunshine. The days will grow longer for the next six months. Our part of the world is on the rebound.”

This did not seem to cheer him, so I put together an eclectic playlist of songs that mention the sun and sent it to him. Everything from the Beatles to Billie Holiday, from Donovan to Ray Charles, who was so talented he even made “You Are My Sunshine” sound soulful.

I haven’t heard back from Swamp Rabbit, so maybe my list was a bit too eclectic. Whatever. He’ll have the whole winter to listen up and make a list of his own. I have a high tolerance for corny songs and can listen to anything… except Katrina and the Waves’ “I’m Walking On Sunshine.”

Footnote: From Family’s “My Friend the Sun”: Though my friend the sun/Looks well on the run/He’s there in the distance/If you care to see.