With the onset of Fall, our daylight hours are shrinking fast. I swear the days get shorter faster than they get longer. Cripe. Did that make any sense? It's sort of like weekend time - it goes faster than weekday time. Really. I timed it.
Rising to the top of my list is setting up the timers. I have a complicated system of timers on all my various light sources. While I did invest in new solar walkway lights for the path from driveway to front deck, it's still pretty dark out here in the boondocks. Phase One of the timer set-up is the goat barn. This is very helpful in many ways - the goaties are happier when there is light in their barn at night and I am happy because I can close them in when I feed them and they are content to munch away. That also saves me another trip out in the dark. Where I sometimes meet creepies - like the opossum I almost tripped over a couple of nights ago. We both shrieked. Setting up this particular timer system is rather complicated. It involves 2 and 3 prong plugs, multiple extension cords, and balancing the whole contraption up out of the reach of the ever-inquisitive goaties.
Phase Two is setting up a light to come on in the living room so that the dogs aren't in the dark (which seems to be more of a worry for me than them), and allows a little more light to emanate out of the windows onto the front deck.
Phase Three are the festive and holiday-themed outdoor strings of lights. My October string is orange and it's wrapped around the front deck. That gives way to the red/white/green lights that adorn the front deck and along the fence line behind the driveway. About mid-December, it is downright cozy out there.
Phase Four - the final phase - is for the darkest nights and the longest part of winter. Mid/late January to early March. This is when I take pity on the chickens and put a light in their coop. It has nothing to do with the fact that I am desperate for eggs about then. Nothing at all.
How do you handle the short dark days? I am always looking for inspiration.
6 comments:
Oooooo, it IS time to put up the orange lights! I don't know why I didn't do this YEARS ago, but I LOVE twinkle lights (i.e. christmas lights) now. I started putting orange ones up for Halloween & Thanksgiving, then right into the Christmas lights. But now that I have a daughter to "blame" it on, I'm sure it won't be long before I have red ones for Valentine's Day, yellow purple pink ones for Easter, red white blue ones for Independence Day, etc.!
As for how do I handle the short dark days? With soup and stew on the wood stove! The stove gives off such a nice warm glow (and food).
I have several solar motion sensor lights that come in real handy. I have them several places outside the nice thing is they require no extension cords. They go off after 30 seconds of no movement. I also put some round globe solar lights on my bottle tree next to the garage. The days are getting much shorter, just wish the temperature would get down to normal, this year makes me believe in global warming for sure.
CR - What? No green for St. Patty's Day? I especially love those twinkle lights on the gloomy winter nights. It perks you up just to look at them, not to mention keeping you from landing on your hiney on those slippery pathways. Wish I had a wood stove.
TL - That's a great idea. Do you recommend a specific kind? I can't believe you are STILL having the heat you are. I think that the new normal weather is very abnormal.
I think it made perfect sense, I too was thinking how darkness settles in much quicker than the days lengthen.... yeah I probably make no sense either but I know what you mean! I am not adjusting well, I scheduled a Cub Scout Fishing outing from 6-8 pm tonight and one of the parents pointed out to me that it would be dark then and I was like "what????"!
I bought some silcone bulbs for a few prim type lamps I got (cheap thrift stores) and have them around the house on timers. They're safer (and no fumes) than candles and create a nice ambience. I only do light strings outside for December, but will put a bulb out for the hens this year. I need them to work for their feed :)
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