Counting Minutes

morning sky

@Rollo1 (16676)

Boston, Massachusetts

January 25, 2016 6:16am CST

I notice that it's quite dark in the morning when The Boy is standing at the bus stop, waiting for his school bus, but here we are four minutes later and it's suddenly light. I think the sun is doing this on purpose, waiting for him to leave. It's just one of the many ways that the universe conspires against me, but nevermind. It's that time of year when I used to count minutes. When I left for work in the dark and returned home in the dark, I could only keep myself hopeful by counting the minutes of daylight we gained each day on the march through winter and towards spring. Nowadays, it's more of a hobby than an obsession. I could tell you that tomorrow will be 2 minutes and 7 seconds longer than today, but I am not sure how much longer today will be than yesterday. The funny thing is that I don't really mind losing daylight in the Autumn months when time tends to carve the light off the end of the day. I don't mind the day ending, sometimes I quite look forward to it. Everyone home and secure while night falls around us - it's a nice feeling. But once the sun retreats further from us in the mornings, I resent it. I don't want to get up in the dark or send children to school in the dark. And so, I am counting minutes. And it won't be long now. 15 minutes after the bus and already I can see the red carpet strewn across the horizon before the feet of the rising Sun, as we all wait for him to make his big entrance.

28 people like this

29 responses

@jaboUK (64346)

• United Kingdom

25 Jan 16

Some lovely descriptive writing here - I love your last sentence.

4 people like this

@TheHorse (238277)

• Walnut Creek, California

26 Jan 16

I second that emotion.

2 people like this

@jaboUK (64346)

• United Kingdom

26 Jan 16

@paigea (36143)

• Canada

25 Jan 16

A lovely description of the day lighting up.

2 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

25 Jan 16

Daylight here for today is 8 hours 32 minutes, which is a definite improvement on last month. As you say the change per day is not constant and accelerates around March in England.

1 person likes this

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@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

28 Jan 16

@Rollo1 I have just checked today’s sunrise and sunset and we have gained 10 minutes of daylight since I made the above comment.

@Rollo1 (16676)

• Boston, Massachusetts

28 Jan 16

I had to check. Today will be 9 hours and 49 minutes long, but we gain 2 minutes 31 seconds tomorrow. Usually it starts to be very noticeable in February.

1 person likes this

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@SIMPLYD (90717)

• Philippines

26 Jan 16

What time does the sun usually shines there ?

1 person likes this

@Rollo1 (16676)

• Boston, Massachusetts

29 Jan 16

Right now the sun rises about 7-ish and sets before 5

1 person likes this

@SIMPLYD (90717)

• Philippines

1 Feb 16

@Rollo1 Oh is that so . Here it rises about 6 a.m. and sets about 6 - 6:30 p.m.

@LadyDuck (502208)

• Italy

25 Jan 16

I also prefer to have light in the morning. I do not care about the evening, we are safely at home.

1 person likes this

@Rollo1 (16676)

• Boston, Massachusetts

29 Jan 16

Morning is the best time of day, however it is lit, but it would be nice to have the light a little earlier.

1 person likes this

@LadyDuck (502208)

• Italy

29 Jan 16

@Rollo1 I agree, it is pitch dark almost until 7 in the morning here.

@Dragonairy1 (1722)

• Newcastle Upon Tyne, England

28 Jan 16

I was excited yesterday as it was daylight when I went to work at 430 pm, still dark in a morning until after 8 though

1 person likes this

@Rollo1 (16676)

• Boston, Massachusetts

29 Jan 16

I note that sunset is not until 4:51 pm here now, and that is nice. But it's taking morning some time to catch onto this daylight idea.

1 person likes this

@Dragonairy1 (1722)

• Newcastle Upon Tyne, England

30 Jan 16

@Rollo1 it is here, and I hate dark mornings.

Happy Lady and Freya the Catblog Cat

@Jackalyn (7558)

• Oxford, England

26 Jan 16

I guess it is the time of year we are all longing for the dark days of winter to go and the spring sunshine to enter the world and cheer us all up. Why are buses always late if it is dark and cold, one wonders?

1 person likes this

@Rollo1 (16676)

• Boston, Massachusetts

29 Jan 16

This bus driver seems to be in a race to break some land speed record and see just how early he can arrive because he is earlier every day and it's pretty dark when he arrives. I think that he's getting everyone to be anxious about being on time so they will all be there early and then one day, he will come late, just for fun.

@Tampa_girl7 (54714)

• United States

28 Jan 16

It feels odd to me that I no longer have a child to put on the school bus.

1 person likes this

@Rollo1 (16676)

• Boston, Massachusetts

29 Jan 16

Even though I get up early on weekends, it's nice not to have to get a child up and out the door before dark.

@Inlemay (17712)

• South Africa

27 Jan 16

I agree with you in the evenings, and too dont like starting my day in the dark.

1 person likes this

@Rollo1 (16676)

• Boston, Massachusetts

29 Jan 16

It's nice to be home when it's dark in the evening, but mornings are for busy-ness and we need light!

1 person likes this

@bluesa (15022)

• Johannesburg, South Africa

26 Jan 16

I also like it when night settles in and everybody is home safe and sound. Dark mornings I also do not appreciate when everyone needs to get to work or school, it would be nice if in winter the sun could rise earlier. I love the way you describe the rising sun @Rollo1 .

1 person likes this

@Rollo1 (16676)

• Boston, Massachusetts

29 Jan 16

There's something secure and restful about everyone in the house, relaxing at home and knowing that at the end of the day, we are all cozy and together.

1 person likes this

@Marilynda1225 (91035)

• United States

27 Jan 16

My daughter feels the same way. She makes two trips to the bus stop each morning (one for my granddaughter & then for my grandson). Both trips are in the dark and she hates putting them on the bus before it's light out.

1 person likes this

@Rollo1 (16676)

• Boston, Massachusetts

29 Jan 16

They have the younger ones start later in the morning, so they are never in the dark, but the middle school and high school kids are out there at 6:45 am, which is a very dark time for several weeks. I am surprised that they have the younger ones out there in the dark that's so unsafe.

@WorDazza (15826)

• Manchester, England

25 Jan 16

Very eloquently put. I would probably have settled for "I really hate the dark mornings"

1 person likes this

@Rollo1 (16676)

• Boston, Massachusetts

28 Jan 16

I don't mind the dark mornings when it is just me and my coffee staring at a flickering screen and wifi words. But once it's time to venture into the real world, it would be nice to be able to see it. There ought to be brightness/contrast controls for the outside world. I think sunlight causes headaches and eye strain.

1 person likes this

@WorDazza (15826)

• Manchester, England

28 Jan 16

@Rollo1 I get out of bed at 5:30am every weekday. It's dark when I walk the dog and dark on my journey into work. By the time I leave work, it's dark again and I get to walk the dog again, in the dark. When you find the remote control, point it in my direction and turn up the brightness a touch!!

1 person likes this

@TheHorse (238277)

• Walnut Creek, California

26 Jan 16

I remember coming home from school in Chicago in Winter and thinking about how it would be dark soon. In the Summers, it seemed strange to go to have to be in when it was still sunny out.

1 person likes this

@Rollo1 (16676)

• Boston, Massachusetts

29 Jan 16

Strangely, I liked early darkness when the kids were small. It was nice to have the excuse that we couldn't go out and play after dinner because it was dark. Mother gets tired, you know. In the summer, we'd have lots of things we could do after Mother worked all day... sigh.

@JamesHxstatic (29410)

• Eugene, Oregon

25 Jan 16

Nice description. I am so glad to see it still light at 5 PM this week. The loss of daylight on either end of the day bothers me, not to the point of depression, but I just miss the extra daylight.

1 person likes this

@Rollo1 (16676)

• Boston, Massachusetts

29 Jan 16

I guess I feel like it's less likely that people will visit me at night, and I have a morbid fear of visitors.

1 person likes this

@GardenGerty (169439)

• United States

25 Jan 16

Those minutes seem to get away from me. I needed the reminder that our day is growing longer. Soon we will have the light we need to give us energy and warmth.

1 person likes this

@Rollo1 (16676)

• Boston, Massachusetts

29 Jan 16

I suppose I think the day is longer and so I get more done. But today, I think I would rather be lazy.

@marlina (154103)

• Canada

25 Jan 16

I remember those days when I was working and leaving in the dark and coming back in the dark. It was very depressing.

1 person likes this

@Rollo1 (16676)

• Boston, Massachusetts

28 Jan 16

It can be, I think that is what makes winter seem so long and you never feel like there is enough day in the day.

@garymarsh6 (23978)

• United Kingdom

25 Jan 16

I was late leaving work this evening and mentioned to my colleague how much lighter it is this evening and come here and read your post. I love the light in the morning and when the evenings start getting longer. As you rightly say it is nice once everyone is home safe and sound.

1 person likes this

@Rollo1 (16676)

• Boston, Massachusetts

29 Jan 16

Yes, there is that first day when you walk to your car after work, and suddenly notice that it isn't pitch dark outside. That is a joyous moment.

AtypicalRussian

@TypicalRussian (747)

• Budennovsk, Russian Federation

25 Jan 16

i also like the time effect when you leave home looking at the Moon, make 200 steps and realise the Moon is gone and it is morning. I have experienced that a couple of times and remembered that

1 person likes this

@Rollo1 (16676)

• Boston, Massachusetts

28 Jan 16

The change can come on very quickly.

1 person likes this

@petatonicsca (7070)

• Japan

26 Jan 16

It is dark when I get up but not when I leave. The evenings are longer now. Looking forward to March when the sun comes up earlier, but not to summers when it comes up at 4:00!

@nottoooldtowrite (2715)

• Philippines

25 Jan 16

Mr. Sun must be happy that he is very welcome and who knows he might just stay a bit longer.

1 person likes this