I didn’t get up until 8:30 this morning. I thought it was much earlier, as it was still dark.
When I went into the kitchen to let Ollie out, I had to switch on the lights. Then I went into the living room and opened the curtains, only to discover that it was as dark as early evening outside. I checked the clock on the microwave as my kettle boiled for coffee. Definitely morning.
Once the computer had fired up, the clock at the bottom of the screen confirmed it was really almost 9 am, not pm.
It is now 11:48, and still more or less dark. It will officially be dark just after 4 pm today.
But I will hardly notice any difference.
On the plus side, it isn’t raining!
Welcome to New England.
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That must be why the settlers named it that, Jennie. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Definitely! π
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I find the dark so much harder than the cold. Although I have been in the UK for 15 years it’s the one thing I find so hard to adjust to. In South Africa there aren’t such vast difference in light hours between summer and winter especially in Johannesburg because it is so much closer to the equator.
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It must be difficult to adjust from a place that had so much better weather, Abbi.
It didn’t used to be like this here when I was young. The seasons were more sharply defined, with much colder winters and hot summers. Even in my lifetime, I have noticed the changes.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Great post π In March, the days will start getting longer again or at least I think that is what it happens π Anyway, keep up the great work as always π
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Thanks, John. They start to get longer at the end of January, and hopefully by March we should see some warm sun. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Believe it or not, the hours of daylight start to increase soon after the winter solstice, December 21st. Then the daylight decreases after the summer solstice, June 21st.
And I, too, have noticed a decrease in the difference between the seasons. We’ve not had snow here for a number of years, now. And even frost is a rarety. But so much more rain!
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Thanks, VM. We have had more rain than I can ever remember. As for the darkness, I suspect that is caused by low and dense cloud cover over the region. It is strangely dull again today, and still raining!
Best wishes, Pete.
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Maybe something like the spaceship from Independence Day is covering Norfolk. This could work as an umbrella too. Lol Michael
Attention, not that you feel like this pesticide sprayer. He was kidnapped by aliens.
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It did feel a lot like that spaceship, Michael! π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Happy to hear the rain has stopped there for you. We’ve got rain all week here though temperatures are rather mild. Can’t wait till spring! π
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It’s a brief respite from the rain, Susanne. More forecast. π¦
best wishes, Pete.
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No end in sight for the rain here either. Such is life!
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Nice to know you are not having rains there Pete π¦
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We have had three dry days, Arlene. A good respite. π
I am able to sleep well, not having to listen to the rain.
Best wishes, Pete.
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That’s niceβ
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California is the opposite, sun shines all the time, if I wake up in the dark itβs the middle of the night! Although sunrise and sunset is extraordinary! You need some tiki torches Pete!
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I am often envious of living in the sun, Cheryl.
But I confess that every day being the same would still lead me to complain about that. π π
Best wishes, Pete.
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I had to look up Tiki Torches. π
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A backyard favorite on dark nights!
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Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
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Thanks very much, I left a comment. π
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No wonder it seems that the sun isn’t rising any earlier. It isn’t!(Thanks for the link to the article explaining all this.)
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It confused me too, Elizabeth.
Thanks to blogging, we have an explanation. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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That sounds a bit dreary, Pete. I hope it is lighter and brighter tomorrow. I always remember how much it snowed when we visited the UK over Christmas in 2009. The snow was so pretty and white.
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Thankfully, we haven’t had any snow here. (Yet)
It may look nice, but it makes travelling around a nightmare.
It was just very strange how dark the day was. But it had been completely dark since just after 4.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Better dark outside than a power outage at least! Welcome to winter!
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Definitely better than no power, John.
It was just unusually dark all day today. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Looking up at the dark clouds, did you see any silver linings?
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If only I did, David. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Even if it’s only a psychological difference for a couple of weeks, I still feel better after the solstice, knowing that we’re ‘on the up’ π I really struggle to get up on these dark mornings, and only put lights on if it’s absolutely necessary. Cheers, Jon.
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Putting the lights on today was definitely necessary, Jon. I will feel better by the time my birthday arrives, in March. Definitely longer days by then.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Itβs a rare gloomy morning here as well Pete.
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Oh dear. Gloom in Alabama? That doesn’t sound good, Kim. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Well, it made for a good laundry day.
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Bright sun. Blue skies. High of 70 degrees. Wearing shorts.
Keep Florida green! Come visit! Bring money!
π
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Shorts! If only… Gloat away, Frank. I would. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Well, May is the beginning of hurricane season!
Won’t gloat too loudly! π
Besties.
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I would normally say at least we don’t get those.
But… https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/21/tornado-tears-surrey-towns-britain-faces-miserable-christmas/
π π
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Rain, windy and clouds….darkness here as well…..chuq
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I know it’s winter, but today has been ‘Doomsday Dark’! π
Best wishes, Pete.
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π³π³
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It was unusually dark here this morning, but we are expecting rain soon and it looks like that will carry on for two days. I am glad it is not raining there, at least.
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They are saying no rain for the next three days, Maggie. I hope they are right! π
Best wishes, Pete.
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I hope so, too, Pete.
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had the same sensations, and got up at the same time this morning….synchronicity as the world goes dark…
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Small wonder there is so much alcoholism in Russia. π π
Best wishes, Pete. x
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Whoa !!!! I would sleep whole day thinking itβs night only πππ
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That could have happened if I hadn’t gone to bed quite early last night, Smita. π
Than again, I have to think of my dog. He needs to be let out, and hopefully before 9 am.
Best wishes, Pete.
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It’s just after 2pm here and we have had the lights on all day. 31st December was a glorious day here – fabulous after the weeks of gloom with frost and blue skies and sunshine and it stayed light for much longer. Only one day but it gave me hope – longer days are on the way, even if we can’t quite believe it.
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Thanks, Mary. I walked Ollie in the gloom, and of course he didn’t mind. π
Almost pitch dark here now, and only just gone 4.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Been gloomy here for a week, it’s so depressing, but at least it has been dry most of the time and far less windy. I’m sleeping badly too! Becoming a nocturnal creature π΄
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My sleeps have been good. Probably because there has been no night-time torrential rain hitting the windows for a few days. π
Best wishes, Pete. x
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I don’t know what my problem is, I just can’t get to sleep, lie tossing and turning, too tired to read. End up falling asleep at 4 am. Not good.
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Julie has been doing that for a long time now. Have you had your blood sugar level checked recently?
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Yes, had a health review last month, BP a little high, but that’s normal for me.
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Just wondered, because Julie’s sleep problems started when she was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.
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https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/winters-detrimental-effects-sleep/414390
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Thanks for the link.
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you will see that since the solstice the sunrises have actually been getting later….
https://www.sunrise-and-sunset.com/en/sun/united-kingdom/banbury/2019/december
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…but I am concerned that it was still dark at 11.48!
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Shortest day and latest dawn are not the same thing. It is not the same thing as the earliest sunset either.
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Thanks, Simon. I read about that in December, and it made me feel better to know it was not my imagination! I suppose the 11:48 darkness must be due to the very low cloud cover here.
Best wishes, Pete.
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… or else you are now living in Murmansk and nobody told you?
https://www.sunrise-and-sunset.com/en/sun/russia/murmansk
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I have just been out the office for lunch – you are right, not exactly dark but rather lacking in brightness.
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‘Lacking in brightness’ is a classic British understatement, Simon. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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21st was the shortest day, wasn’t it? I hate these dark mornings too, Pete. When I walk to work across Hardwick Heath it’s spooky in the dark and early morning mist…
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Yes it was the shortest day, but sunrises are still late during January.
I’m glad I don’t have to walk (or drive) to work anymore, especially during winter.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I too was struck by how dark it was this morning (I’m in Leicestershire, a little further West, and I’m trying to work out if that makes it darker here than in Norfolk. I guess it does in the morning as you’re further East, not that it probably makes a lot of difference.) I thought the days were supposed to be getting longer now? They seem to be getting shorter
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Thanks, Sarada. They don’t actually get longer until after the 7th of January. And then not by much. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Ok so now I’m puzzled. How come 22nd was the shortest day if they’re not getting longer?
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This is American, but the same thing applies here. π
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2016/01/15/why-does-the-sun-still-rise-so-late-the-dark-mornings-of-january-explained/
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Thanks but I can’t see the article without subscribing
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Strange, I didn’t subscibe. If you look at Simon’s comments, he has better links. π
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