This is proper winter now. The sun has
gone. No more sun this year. We still have some hours of light each day, but
the sunrise bleeds into sunset which fades into darkness.
I was driving home at 11.30 and looking at
the unreal light-blue of the fjord and pink wash of the sky. I thought to myself
that these were colours which ought really to have their own names. I never saw
them before I moved here. I went outside with a camera to photograph what I
could, slipping twice on the ice at the edge of the fjord. From next week until
spring all pictures will come out in shades of blue.
By two o'clock the moon was high in the sky,
reflecting in the fjord and lighting up the snow. Streetlights reflect in the
water opposite us, making our cabin feel a little less remote.
We've been burning up a good deal of our
wood supply. Last night we lay in bed with the door open, watching shapes
from the flames in the living room dancing on the bedroom ceiling.
When most of the day is dark it often feels
much later than it is. You keep thinking it must soon be time to go to bed, but
then you look up at the clock and discover it's 6.30 in the afternoon. Still,
you get very little done. People go into semi-hibernation at this time of year.
Life gets quieter. Sleep is your friend.
Semi-hibernation sounds good. Here we try to keep going - although we don't lose the sun completely as you do - and it's quite a struggle at times!
ReplyDeleteSemi-hibernation is good in some ways, but it can make life difficult at work because everyone is sleep-walking. They have it right when it comes to working hours though around here though - most people are finished and on their way home before 4 o'clock.
DeleteThose were some really beautiful photos, and what you write too. Polar Night sounds excotic and attractive. I feel it's heavy this year, I work in an office all day and don't get any daylight like I did last year when I had a baby and could take a walk every day at noon. Only in the weekends we try to get out when there's some light.
ReplyDeleteSome days are heavier than others for me and I do think I going to miss the light when it goes completely in the next few days. The sky has been so amazing this week.I need to try to force myself to spend more time outside the house.
DeleteI wish I could have been there for the celebration with the candles you showed on your blog. It looked lovely.