Angle of the Sun

The days are much shorter this time of year. Yeah, I know, blatantly obvious. But the reason I am noting this is because of the angle of the sun.

When I was growing up in Detroit, we never really saw the sun. Too much smog. As a matter of fact, I didn’t see my first sunset until we went to Nebraska when I was 10 and we stopped in Iowa at my aunt’s house overnight. I was absolutely amazed! Never saw such colors and all I could do was stand there and stare. It was like seeing heaven here on earth!

When I lived in Nebraska (we moved there when I was 15), the days were shorter during the winter, like everywhere else in the northern hemisphere, but the angle of the sun wasn’t so low in the sky.

Here in Maine, the sun shines straight in the windows most of the afternoon. It is like the sun is either rising or setting all day long. It takes forever for the sun to come up in the morning with it looking like sunrise for over an hour. Then the sun skims the horizon, right above the trees, and by about 1:30 in the afternoon, it looks like it descending towards sunset, which happens about two and a half hours later. By 4:30, it is all over for the day and it is pitch black outside once again.

When I lived in The Netherlands during college (one year – great fun!), the sun really skimmed the horizon and was even closer to it than it is here in Maine. But, in the winter there, it barely shines so it really wasn’t that much of an issue. On the few days it was out, we just kept the blinds pulled down. If you didn’t, when you walked in the room the sun would smack you right in the face and pretty much blind you.

It seems like it is close to that this year. Mostly because we have had more sunny days than cloudy. More warm days than cold. And hardly any snow at all. The one storm at the end of the October is a far distance memory and there isn’t a bit of evidence left of it.

Lately I have been keeping my blinds in my living room down most of the afternoon. Not for privacy but to keep the sun from smacking me in the face when I walk in the room.

I am grateful to see on the news during the weather forecast each day that we are gaining more and more sunlight each day. We are at that time of year when the days start getting longer all of which will lead to that happy day in June when it is the longest day of the year.

I guess I should be thankful that the weather has been as pleasant as it has been this year. No major snow. No major cold. And especially, no major ice! There is no guarantee that this trend will continue. We could end up with a very snowy February or March (or even April). Actually it would be good if we did. We need a certain level of snow fall each year in order to avoid drought during the summer.

In the mean while, I will continue to block the sun as it tries to blind me each afternoon. All the while grateful that the weather is mild and pleasant. Don’t worry about the future (possible storms and/or drought) or dwell on the past (no storms, possible drought). Just enjoy each gorgeous day as it comes!