When the Sun Breaks Through

The air was crisp, smelling of pine needles and damp earth in Balinastoe Woods at Christmas, but - as is so often the case there - it was the light that stopped me in my tracks.

The canopy was thick, creating a sort of natural roof, but the sun managed to pierce through in these incredible, distinct beams. It felt like standing in a cathedral.

I actually looked this up when I got home—these beams are technically called "crepuscular rays." It’s basically the Tyndall effect in action, where the sunlight scatters off tiny water droplets or dust particles in the air, making the light visible to the naked eye. Science aside, it just felt otherworldly.