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Monday, December 22, 2008
WINTER SOLSTICE
Our Winter Solstice was this weekend. It was the SHORTEST and darkest day of the year. We were out and about in town, outside and enjoying the day. We are gaining more daylight and on the up swing...don't get me wrong we'll be seeing snow until April, but at least we'll have the sunshine !!!
An excerpt from the ADN:
An excerpt from the ADN:The folks in Barrow haven't seen the sun since Nov. 18. After 65 days of darkness, residents will finally glimpse the sun again on Jan. 23, when it pops above the horizon for an hour and 15 minutes.
Although the knowledge won't make us any warmer, it may be comforting to know that Alaska receives the same amount of daylight each year as Ecuador, only ours is packaged differently. Those at the equator experience much more consistent day length than we do, never straying too far from 12 hours. By contrast, Alaskans ride a dramatic roller coaster that peaks on June 21, when portions of the state get more than 20 hours of daylight.
But today, that dream is six months away. The cold reality:
• Anchorage: Sunrise at 10:14 a.m., sunset at 3:42 p.m., for five hours and 28 minutes.
Our Ten Ways to Get Through Winter.
1. Get outside when the sun is up. Take at least an hour lunch break and get out.
2. Be active outdoors. Walk to the store, take the dog out for a walk, go skiing, take a hike, go running. Moving in what daylight there is can make a world of difference.
3. On a nice day take a minute for the sunrise. Go to a window. Watch it. Breath it.
4. Light your house well. When you wake up turn on all the lights, it will help you wake up. A good reading light is essential. Maybe get a "starlight" or "sad light" it can help keep your circadian rhythms from wondering.
5. A good potluck recipe! A good potluck recipe! Potlucks are huge in Alaska, particularly in the winter. Winter is the time for socializing, dinner parties, craft nights, movie nights, etc.
6.Layers! It's always cold outside, it's always too hot inside. Be prepared to layer up and layer down and make sure that you don't forget any key body parts.
7.For the love of digits...spend the money & buy yourself a WARM pair of boots and a good pair of gloves and don't leave your ears uncovered unless you want frostbite.
8.Bright colors! They keep things cheerful and they make you more visible to traffic. Beautiful bold colors, fun socks and scarves, fun stripey long underwear...ever notice how much winter gear is black???? Why?
9. Hot drinks, a cozy quilt mom Kathy made for us & a good book!
10. We love when it snows a few feet, we would love to have 5-6 feet of snow.
Relax. You can't control everything. Just go with it.
I know many of you are experiencing snow and cold weather right now. Don't get too frustrated with driving & travel you know it's not going to last like it does up here in Alaska. Enjoy the snow!
2. Be active outdoors. Walk to the store, take the dog out for a walk, go skiing, take a hike, go running. Moving in what daylight there is can make a world of difference.
3. On a nice day take a minute for the sunrise. Go to a window. Watch it. Breath it.
4. Light your house well. When you wake up turn on all the lights, it will help you wake up. A good reading light is essential. Maybe get a "starlight" or "sad light" it can help keep your circadian rhythms from wondering.
5. A good potluck recipe! A good potluck recipe! Potlucks are huge in Alaska, particularly in the winter. Winter is the time for socializing, dinner parties, craft nights, movie nights, etc.
6.Layers! It's always cold outside, it's always too hot inside. Be prepared to layer up and layer down and make sure that you don't forget any key body parts.
7.For the love of digits...spend the money & buy yourself a WARM pair of boots and a good pair of gloves and don't leave your ears uncovered unless you want frostbite.
8.Bright colors! They keep things cheerful and they make you more visible to traffic. Beautiful bold colors, fun socks and scarves, fun stripey long underwear...ever notice how much winter gear is black???? Why?
9. Hot drinks, a cozy quilt mom Kathy made for us & a good book!
10. We love when it snows a few feet, we would love to have 5-6 feet of snow.
Relax. You can't control everything. Just go with it.
I know many of you are experiencing snow and cold weather right now. Don't get too frustrated with driving & travel you know it's not going to last like it does up here in Alaska. Enjoy the snow!
We hope everyone travels safely this week and has fun with family & friends!
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