Author Topic: Celebrating the Winter Solstice  (Read 298685 times)

Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Celebrating the Winter Solstice
« Reply #330 on: October 04, 2021, 11:39:26 am »
I must be a contrarian. I like the dark and Mondays.

But in my defense, one time I lived in the Detroit, Michigan, area for a few years and I caught a case of SAD disorder. Not enough daylight to keep me healthy. I remember looking out the window at the end of May and wondering when, if ever, it would be warm enough to plant my tomatoes. Luckily, we moved back to Colorado, which gets more sunny days than Florida, even!
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Offline serious crayons

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Re: Celebrating the Winter Solstice
« Reply #331 on: October 04, 2021, 02:36:11 pm »
I must be a contrarian. I like the dark and Mondays.

But in my defense, one time I lived in the Detroit, Michigan, area for a few years and I caught a case of SAD disorder. Not enough daylight to keep me healthy. I remember looking out the window at the end of May and wondering when, if ever, it would be warm enough to plant my tomatoes. Luckily, we moved back to Colorado, which gets more sunny days than Florida, even!

Well, exactly. I never realized I had SAD in college and some years thereafter until I looked back and realized it after I moved back to MN from NOLA. Then I was home all day with very small children. I would take them out in the car and, soaking up the sun's rays through the windshield and moon roof, I could feel my mood improving as if I'd just popped a pill.

Since then, I've been hyperaware of sunlight -- even things like what windows face in which directions. I see houses with beautiful big windows facing north and think, why? I prefer any of the other three directions.

Sunny days are nicer but I don't mind cloudy that much. It's more about daylight than actual sunshine, although both are good. Warmth is important, too, but I could never live in warm/cloudy Seattle.

One disappointing thing about my new apartment, which faces west. Since I moved in, I've been sitting on the balcony in the evening watching the sun set behind the trees. That's lovely, but I told myself how nice it would be to watch that in winter when the leaves are down and my apartment is flooded with light. Now I'm realizing the sun may be too far south to clear the building, so i won't see it set! A friend whose apartment is perpendicular to mine, so facing north, doesn't see the sun at all in winter.

As for Mondays, I've hated them as long as I can remember because they mean getting back to work or school with five long days stretching ahead. You're not a contrarian -- just harder working!  :laugh:



Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: Celebrating the Winter Solstice
« Reply #332 on: October 04, 2021, 03:25:43 pm »
Since then, I've been hyperaware of sunlight -- even things like what windows face in which directions. I see houses with beautiful big windows facing north and think, why? I prefer any of the other three directions.

Both my apartments and my condo all had/have south-facing windows. I crave the sunlight. Plus, the windows on the north side of the buildings face the center of the city and all its skyscrapers. That would be a nice view at might for, maybe, a week. ...

I would only consider living in a place with north-facing windows if the apartment overlooked a park.

Philadelphia has many tiny streets, so narrow a car could barely get through, with very quaint two-story Federal-style houses. Usually these streets are tree-lined, too. I think it would be neat to live in one of those houses (if I could afford it  ::)  ) until I realize they get no sunlight.

Quote
One disappointing thing about my new apartment, which faces west. Since I moved in, I've been sitting on the balcony in the evening watching the sun set behind the trees. That's lovely, but I told myself how nice it would be to watch that in winter when the leaves are down and my apartment is flooded with light. Now I'm realizing the sun may be too far south to clear the building, so i won't see it set! A friend whose apartment is perpendicular to mine, so facing north, doesn't see the sun at all in winter.

When I first moved into my condo, I could go out on my living room balcony and have a 180-degree view. Plus there were no buildings higher than my building to the southward. That view has been gradually chipped away. Now, thanks to the new high-rise next door, I won't be able to see any October sunsets, which can be beautiful if the weather is clear.
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"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline serious crayons

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Re: Celebrating the Winter Solstice
« Reply #333 on: October 04, 2021, 03:34:02 pm »

I would only consider living in a place with north-facing windows if the apartment overlooked a park.


Best of both worlds -- mine faces west, overlooking a big park, no buildings visible except for the 5-story wings of this one.

Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Celebrating the Winter Solstice
« Reply #334 on: December 17, 2021, 12:15:30 pm »
The winter solstice is coming, aka Longerdays! How will you celebrate? I'll spend time with my grandchildren at mid-day and then go visit a friend in the afternoon. Planning to fire up the fireplace in the evening. It has been too warm to run it so far.
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Offline CellarDweller

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Re: Celebrating the Winter Solstice
« Reply #335 on: December 20, 2021, 07:09:31 am »
I have a friend who is going to a small, outdoor gathering by the fire pit.


Tell him when l come up to him and ask to play the record, l'm gonna say: ''Voulez-vous jouer ce disque?''
'Voulez-vous, will you kiss my dick?'
Will you play my record? One-track mind!

Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Celebrating the Winter Solstice
« Reply #336 on: December 17, 2022, 05:21:16 pm »
When possible I try to have a fire outside, but it is raining today. I will light a candle.

15 years ago today I head the voice of Walt Whitman on NPR:

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBX2L_Re5Cc[/youtube]

Time to revive this thread...and Truman's link to Walt Whitman's voice still works! How will you celebrate?
"chewing gum and duct tape"