Day:310, Words:310

Welcome to the last week of sunlight for this year. That's right, there will be no more talk of sunlit afternoons, no more glorious sunsetting pics and no more shadows. It is a fact of life that everyone up here needs to deal with, but it can take its toll on certain people. This period before Christmas is particulary difficult as often the snow disappears with intervals of heavy rain and dark skies. The body takes its time to adjust to the lack of sunlight and the contagious yawns are spotted everywhere. It is not just the new arrivals to the Arctic circle that struggle with the 'dark time'. It affects different prople in different ways and there are those who are born and bred in these parts that can also feel the lows of November.

It is perhaps why the natural phenomenen of the northern lights is greatly appreciated here. In the past week, Øksfjordians have been fortunate enough to receive several visits from these swirly green dragons of the night sky. In the depths of winter on a dark, yet clear night, the northern lights can brighten up the sky and perform a magical show of swirling manouvers and freaky patterns that disappear and reappear.

It is also why Christmas is so big here as it provides an escape and a focus away from the darker days.

Since we turned the clocks back an hour, the mornings have been more pleasant with daylight streaming in when the curtains are pulled to the side, making it easier to attack the new work day. Of course, the early afternoons are blanketed in darkness. The daylight savings system is somewhat obsolete in the these parts as for half of the year, the sun is either stationed constantly above the horizon or hidden beneath it. At least the curtains will not fade!

 

 

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