What happens to you when the days get shorter?

 

Over the past few months, I’ve had reason to travel a bit.

No vacations involved. A lot of personal things, like wedding celebrations and visiting family. Fun stuff. Happy to see everyone. It also creates a situation where I’m setting up some lights on timers around the house for the days here and there that I wasn’t home.

Around me, it’s not uncommon in late June and early July to be able to drive your car without turning on the headlights until well after 9pm. Sunset for those dates averages after 8:30. The result is you don’t need to have those timers triggering lights at 4 in the afternoon.

But late in August, the sunset is arriving before 8pm. It will be at roughly 7pm in late September. And once the clocks switch and winter arrives, it will be difficult to see around the house without the lights on at 4pm.

And so, as I was putting the lights and timers away, I found myself thinking about settings and how they would have needed to be changed so the lights wouldn’t be turning on or off at silly times. I got to wondering about the things I do during the day around the house that are tied into the light outside. What do I change when the days are getting shorter or longer?

When the weather is nice, I enjoy opening windows and doors to let fresh air in. But I’m not that big a fan of keeping them all open in the evening once it’s dark outside. The light of day can influence when I’m closing windows and locking doors, effectively a statement on shutting up the shop and settling down.

Much like you, I suppose, I tend to be more active during the daylight. In the evenings, I’ll spend more time reading or watching television. That’s not necessarily all a result of a work schedule, since things like hanging laundry outside to dry isn’t something I’m normally beginning around midnight.

That’s true for my neighbors as well.

I was actually outside this morning with my laundry when the dog that lives next door arrived for a visit. He’s a very cute puppy. Well behaved, filled with playful energy. I’ve met him a couple of times, but never after dark.

For me and those living nearby, tasks like mowing lawns and making assorted yard work noises generally takes up the afternoons. To date, I’ve yet to see anyone riding a mower around the lawn with a headlight on.

I like to walk around the outside of my house once or twice a month. I actually do it more often than that, but these trips are a bit more specific. I look for things like any screens coming loose or if the chipmunks are causing havoc for the plants on the side of the house. It’s a way of being aware of what’s going on, occasionally taking steps to fix an issue before it becomes a bigger problem. I find these little excursions tend to be after dinner in the summer, but in the winter usually take place late in the morning. Sure, it’s dark before I even start making dinner in the winter, but the difference between 7pm and 11am is quite a swing for a property check walk.

There are all sorts of studies about what happens when we are exposed to more or less sunlight. Depression can set in during the darker days of winter. We can be more active in the summer. It’s not just a result, depending on where you live and how the seasons treat you, of warmer days and less trudging through the snow.

Summer is winding down around me. In fewer weeks then I care to believe, I’ll use the ride on to get around the yard and pick up leaves. Then it will be time to put up the snow fence and move the snow blower from the shed to the garage.

Physical stuff. Weather changes.

But I also know things will be different when it comes to how I behave and some of the things I do. A portion will be based on the darkness, but not all of it. And yet, I already find myself craving some warm gingerbread. I suppose that will have to comfort me while I’m hanging my clothes inside to dry.

 

If you have any comments or questions, please e-mail me at Bob@inmybackpack.com