". Arranged Words: Illumination

12 Feb 2014

Illumination




In this part of the world, daylight is increasing by one, sometimes, two minutes a day, and Daylight Savings Time begins March 9th.   So now instead of getting dark at 4:20, it stays light until successive washes of blue deepen around 6p.m. (That's almost 10.5 hours of daylight!) 

Once upon a time, I lived in the Arctic where, during the winter, it was dark for nearly 30 days. Clocks seemed useless, although most of us lived by the clock, but in what, at times, seemed like slow motion.  Finally, after the long dark siege, the truant sun clipped the horizon on the 6th of January.

Watching the sun sneak a peek at the world at approximately 1:45 p.m. on Jan., 6th was a welcome sight. It made me feel giddy, relieved, and sent my spirit soaring.  And even though it was beyond cold, almost everyone came out to celebrate the Sunrise

Standing on the frozen Mackenzie River in the dark, cold air, I distinctly remember watching a dizzying array of fireworks ignite the sky--fireworks that, for me, never looked so magnificence, nor boomed with more applause.

Enjoy the light that lingers... 


And have a Happy Valentine's Day!   
      
         That love is all there is
        Is all we know of love
         It is enough, the freight should be
         Proportioned to the groove.

           Emily Dickinson




2 comments:

Carolyn said...

Happy Valentine's Day, Dixie! Your description of the first peak of sun after 30 days really got me thinking. I love to see the sun when it has only been gone for a few days. It would disappoint me that after that 30 day long night, the sun only comes out for a brief moment. I would be thrilled to go out and see it, but then I would be sad. Just sad.

Dixie @ Arranged Words said...

Yes, I can say that many people I knew felt the same way that you said you would feel.

After that initial sun rise, the time was extended by about 20 minutes a day, so by today's date we had almost as much day light there as we currently have here.

By May 25th we were in the land of the Midnight Sun, and the sun didn't set again until July 20th in a reversed slow process, of course. It was a heady time, although, for me, it was difficult to settle down to sleep with all that sunlight!

Thanks, Carolyn. Happy Valentine's Day to you too!