I don’t mind getting up early. In fact, if I had my druthers, I would get up
at sunrise most days. In the summer, it’s
easy. The sun brilliant and the sky
bright, birds singing, the dawn calls to me.
In the winter, I would also like to get up at sunrise, except that
sunrise is late. Late for the workers,
anyway. Today it was at 7:46. I wouldn’t mind lazing in bed until 7:46!
In my region, in winter (who am I kidding; fall, winter and
spring) the sky is often cloudy. The
cloud cover sits like a bowl inverted over the city. Sometimes it is a monotone of gray, but most
of the time there is texture to the clouds.
Frequently, the cloud cover does not reach all the way to
the horizon. It hovers above us,
allowing a thin band of clear sky to be seen if one is not surrounded by
buildings or forests. At dawn and sunset
there may be bold diagonal beams of light lancing across the city. It is spectacular. It only lasts a few minutes, and then the sun
is hidden again and the light dims to the normal setting.
Some years ago I was given a dawn simulator alarm
clock. What a wonderful device! I’ve written about it before. I haven’t been using it lately because I am
sleeping in a different bedroom and haven’t bothered to move it. Instead, I have an irritating beepbeepbeep
electronic alarm clock that I can’t stand.
I think I will switch these out this weekend. I need my cheerful light. The lamp is key to getting up in the winter
and not feeling a dragging depression.
What about you? Are
you an early riser by nature or more of a night owl?
