Thursday, December 10, 2009

The Darkness

Pet's proof that the approaching darkness can be beautiful.

Karen's vain attempt to make the darkness a little less gloomy

Pet

The days are short, the nights are long, all happening so soon. Seems like only minutes ago we were going outside after dinner, working the soil, throwing Frisbees for the dog and breathing in the scent of blossoms. Now as the end of the year approaches, there’s music and laughter and lights all over the great outdoors, but that’s all fake. Mother Nature is not kind causing us depressed humans to improvise and keep our spirits up with lights outside and in. Any kind of festival this time of year, including 3 million lights at the Winter Fest in nearby Smoky Mountains, sparkles up the dark. I bet you do plenty glittering these short days in not so sunny California.

Karen

For some reason this year falling back in time has really hit me hard. It’s like I’ve never experienced a time change before. One minute it stays light till 8:00pm the next I have start turning the lights on in the house at 4:30!!! Like I’m in some crazy horror film. Or better yet an episode of The Twilight Zone. As the darkness descends, I just can’t seem to get used to the disappearing light. I look at the clock and it’s 6:00pm but my body thinks it’s 10:00pm. What the heck happened?

Pet

I know all about the time darkness falls in December. We once ran a small radio station which had a fairly good coverage during daylight hours. Then, during the month of the best advertising in the year we had to cut our power at sun down which happened at 4:45 p.m. Our overnight power was exactly the same as a 100 watt light bulb. That hurt. Minutes are added to the clock a few days before the solstice. That’s why in ancient times our primitive ancestors celebrated the return of the sun. So hang in there, Karen Anne. The sun will come back.

Karen

Maybe I need to get one of those light boxes like the people in Alaska use. That way I can have daylight for 20 hours if I want. : ) I’m not the only one who thinks this year the darkness seems to be more intense. The neighbors have been complaining more than usual and my hubby goes into a funk as soon as the sun goes down too. Maybe there’s something going on in our little slice of the world. Could be residual fallout from the fires. We lost two weeks of light when the Station fire was raging. The air was so filled with smoke it looked like twilight 24-7. And no we didn’t see any vampires. Lol

Pet

Another device to chase the dark away is what they do in Scandinavian countries: paint and decorate houses in bright or pastel colors. But wait, they do that with your Victorian gems so I guess it doesn’t work. How about spotlights on the house? Lights all over the garden? That way you can alleviate the doom and gloom from October to April. You might have a killer electric bill, though. We have a full moon tonight, so bright as to mimic daylight. Looking out the window on a full moon night, an optical illusion of snow on the trees and lawns occurs. Since you guys in Southern Cal most likely don’t remember snow, you probably don’t know what I’m talking about.

Karen

That’s it! We need snow in Southern Cal! Nothing reflects the light better. Actually went to a holiday party last night and the host had trucked in a ton of snow (here better know as ice) and the kids were having a blast sledding down the make believe snow covered slope. Even though it was quite cold last night the “snow” was melting fast and they had to keep making more. Think I’ll have to stick to lights. But don’t think my neighbors would appreciate my putting huge floodlights in the backyard. Especially since one of them has the habit of strolling around their house au natural for the whole world to see. Think about what kind of shadows they’d cast!

Pet

For sure snow brightens up the landscape. Even junk yards look better with a few inches of snow. Falling down houses, ill kept yards, all become pure and pristine covered with that white stuff. Too bad here in Tennessee snow only lasts a few hours. A few very pretty hours though. And with our snow storms we usually have “black ice”. The snow covers frozen spots and on my curvy, narrow road, I stay home until the temps climb back over 40. A little further north, no one stays home when the snow starts. Why? Usually sane, citizens of all ages become obsessed with rushing to the store to buy bread and milk. Will the bread and milk trucks get stuck in the storm even though it’s never happened? Ahhh...Wintertime up north is here.

Karen

As a former snowbunny I know what you’re talking about. But snow in Southern California only happens every 80 to 100 years and lasts ten minutes. Guess I’ll just have to run out and get one of those lights like my friend in Oregon has. She’s actually a native California that moved up to north. The first couple years she lived up in Oregon she was in the worst mood. But then she went to the doctor and was diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder, appropriately named SAD. After her doctor recommended she use light therapy, she made a complete recovery. Just in time as she was getting ready to move back to California. Maybe light therapy will get rid of my darkness blues. Or maybe I should start a campaign to have Daylight Savings time year round!

Pet

I think a campaign for universal daylight savings time is already around. Too bad, with the not so hot shape of the world, we have more important items to worry about. But maybe some of them would go away with the simple solution of more light. So try to cheer up through the doom and gloom while enjoying your hundreds of indoor lights. Sooner than you think, you’ll see the days lengthen. Hooray… The sun returns from its long winter journey.

2 comments:

Fran said...

Karen Ann-- did you really go to a party where they made snow? that must have been quite the experience for those California kids (but isn't that expensive during this recession?) I love all the holiday lights so that helps me get through the extra time of darkness. Full moon in TN must be quite a site-- I bet you appreciate it even more this time of year! Thanks for another insightful blog-- so nice to take a break from all this holiday madness.

Anonymous said...

Yes Fran, it's true. I did go to a party that trucked in snow. The host has a popular TV show. But it made the guys who brought in the snow some extra money for the holidays. And the kids had a blast!

KA