Darkness Falls

The hardest thing I find about this time of year is the growing, lingering darkness. I've noticed it getting dark earlier in the evening for quite some time now. I guess that's what happens when you spend the longest days of summer way up North and are used to dusk at 2 am, not 9:30 pm.

But it has only been over the past week or so that I have noticed the mornings getting darker, and darker, and darker. It was very pronounced this morning, most likely due to the fact that it's overcast, but it was definitely night time when my alarm went off at 6:30 am. There is a huge difference in getting up at 6:30 am when it's daylight, and getting up at 6:30 am in the pitch black. It takes a while for my body to adjust and realize that 6:30 am is 6:30 am, no matter how dark or light it is outside.

The thing I noticed about this morning, however, was that it stayed dark. It was dark when I got out of the shower; it was dark while I was preparing my lunch and eating my breakfast. I only noticed the first light while getting dressed and ready to get out the door. By the time I left shortly after 7:30 am, it was finally light out, but soon enough I will be leaving for work as dawn is rising.

I suppose that it is one of the many advantages of working in a school. At least during the darkest days and hours of the year I'm on vacation. And when I return to work in January, the days are beginning to show signs of getting lighter and longer. But it is a long way from September to January...