Blog Author
Biita
(view profile)
Recent Entries to this Blog White, White and More,,,,,,,,,,
Posted: 25 Mar 2010
Southern Gardening, lesson 1,,,Controlling ones temper
Posted: 25 Feb 2010
Just One Day
Posted: 10 Sep 2008
The Blueberry Blast
Posted: 13 Aug 2008
How many ways are there to cook sheep?
Posted: 29 Jun 2008

All Entries
 


Biita's Blog




Just One Day

Category: Artic Living | Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 10:56 am

Something I have been mulling over in my mind is something that Aunt Hedvig said to Kolbjørn. When she called him on his birthday, she said "Happy Birthday, today you are 46 days old" (ofcourse in Norwegian, not English) The conversation being on the loudspeaker so we could all talk, I heard this, and thought to myself, hmmmm, she's getting old, let it pass, don't correct her. The thought that she said days, and not years, made me start to think, is she having more problems than she leads us to believe. So I mentioned it to Kolbjørn, and he looked at me like i had a huge wart in the center of my forehead. With one hair sticking out. Horrified. With my eyes, i questioned him. And obviously the invisiable wart also, because he said in absolute incrediability, "Henna, you are born in the Arctic, don't you know"

Know what?

Well that got him laughing. So I sat there thru his laughing fit over how a person could be born up here, and at my age, not know the cycles of the Sun and Moon.

****screetching halt here**** actual skidding sounds with both feet wearing the rubber down at the heels.

Know what?

I think I am pretty much intune with the Sun and Moon cycles,,,,thank you very much!

No your not.

I am 47 days old. Not years. Now I have the incrediable look on my face. And an even bigger incrediable smile to go with it.

Heres how it works. Here in the Arctic, we have one day a year that the sun is at its zenith. Summer Solstice. That lasts 12 hours. The other 12 hours happens on the Winter Solstice. When the sun reaches its absolute lowest point in the sky. All those other days of the year, the sun never reaches its highest and lowest points on earth. They just lead up to the Solstices. Everywhere else on the planet, every single day the sun will reach its highest and lowest points. Not here. It take a whole year to make one full day.

When the Winter Solstice comes around in December we have absolute pitch black. No light what so ever on any of the horizons. But only on that one day. Everywhere else in civilization has this every night. Even for a split second, it happens. Not here. When we go thru the darktime, on the western and northern horizons, we still see a thin sliver of light. The eastern horizon is trying to work on bringing us light back. It turns a little lighter black. Almost a reddish gray. Thats our winter morning light. By that time, the sun has started to go down again, but never to the original point of Winter Solstice. Thats why we have light on the horizons, all the time.

Summer Solstice is the complete opposite. We have light 24 hours a day. No night, but if you look to the east at midnight it will look like shade has taken over that part of the world to us. Still light but not as bright.

So in the 12 hours when the sun makes it highest point in the sky, to the 12 hours when it makes its complete sunset, it takes 6 months, and another 6 months until the sun rises again. One full year.

Amazing!

But its just another thing that makes the Arctic such a magical, and intriguing place to call home. It is like in a fairytale. You live a whole lifetime in just a few short days.







This blog entry has been viewed 2274 times




You're reading one of many blogs on GardenStew.com.
Register for free and start your own blog today.





Archives All Entries
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007