Into the Dark

Even after 6 years of living here, I'm still amazed to see the sun rise later and later each morning, and set earlier and earlier each evening.

Sunrise, taken at 9:30 am

When I first made the decision to live here year-round, I worried quite a bit about how I'd deal with the seriously reduced daylight hours. It is intense and extreme, but I've come to look forward to the much slower pace that this time of year brings. It also gives one an excuse to go a bit crazy, which is fine by me. Some of my favourite memories are of my first winters here, living with friends, sitting around the kitchen table, drinking tea and baileys and waiting for the sun to come up at 9, 10, 11 a.m.  or dancing around to Elvis, still in pajamas. And once the sun does rise, hurrying out to run errands before it sets again.

I also love the special excitement that comes upon realizing the days are getting longer again. Celebrating the first day we see the sun make it over the hills again (we're in a valley here in Dawson, so for about a month or so, the sun doesn't actually get high enough to be visible in the sky), or the first patch of sunlight that appears on the wall or the floor.

Until the Winter Solstice, though, we're in the dark...