PaulR said:
geekgranny said:
I am so tired of clouds and rain. Might as well be living in Seattle. :?
Seattle winters aren't grim because of clouds and rain; you're so far north that it's
dark all the time. In winter I would get up, roust the kids, shlep them to daycare, and drive to work--all in the dark, Around 8:30-9:00 it would start to turn gray. Around 4:00 it would be dark again. Go home. In the dark.
That, too, for us, past three months, even though sun sets a little later in day here but clouds make it seem much earlier; (Savings Time) Dec 1=4:20, Jan 1=4:31, Feb 1=4:58, March 1=5:22. I've spent most days (which are most days in week) working outside in rain or drizzle and mud shoes or boots. Of course I don't work outside when we have "toad chokers" with many days, wet and dry, 60+ mph wind gust. I think I've suffered some SAD (seasonal affective disorder) this winter. A couple of weeks ago I sat out by the pool for several hours, pants legs and sleeves rolled up, sunglasses and cap, but fleece vest on, soaking up the sun; temps low 40s. I felt unusually good that day. Of course it couldn't have been the ale.
PaulR said:
People go nuts about Christmas lights up there, even if they don't actually bother much with Christmas. It's an excuse to have a lot of lights on.
--paulr
who lived up that way for 6 years
They do here too. What you say gets me thinking. We are so used to so much intense, high UV sunlight all year I think maybe people go nuts because they, also, need more light, even during an "average" winter. I've kept up the holiday tree, removed decorations but not tiny warm white lights. We have decided to keep it up as our "pagan" tree, decorated with some non gaudy gold glittery items and special nature items we collect from outside. Our topping is a raccoon tail taken from the raccoon that 13 yr old, Hilda Rottie dragged in the house, late one night (not quite dead yet - still clawing and screeching), a few years ago. We were going to rehabilitate it but it died a few minutes later. (she dropped it on command but we had to catch it and yes, we wore arm length heavy leather gloves). I imagine well have a few long, draped
shed snake skins on the tree too, and pretty soon, unless DH says that's going too far.
Anyway, the lighted tree, 24/7 sure helps to brighten our moods.
gg=alice