Daylight Hours

Sunset on the Farm

I live on a former horse farm in western New Jersey. Since December 9th I have been tracking when we experience sunrises and sunsets (thank you, Weather Channel). I always assumed that the sunrises and sunsets lost the same amount of minutes as the daylight hours became fewer. Not so: While sunrises were getting later and later, sunsets were also getting later and later! How great is that?

So on December 9th, sunrise was at 7:12 AM and sunset was at 4:32 PM - 9 hours and 20 minutes of daylight.

On December 21st, Winter Solstice, we had 9 hours and 16 minutes of daylight - our shortest day of 2010. Sunrise was 8 minutes later (at 7:20 AM) but sunset was 4 minutes later (at 4:36 PM). I felt like the days were already "getting longer" but they really weren't - just sunsets were later.

I admit, January (and February and March) can get me down - it's cold and often cloudy and gray, the holidays are over and I can't get out and walk easily you know: big fat coats, cold wind, snow underfoot. This year though, I'm excited about writing. I've started - in fits and starts - but started nevertheless - this blog which is helping me with some discipline. So I'm "up" this winter and that feels great.
Back to longer days: Today sunrise was at 7:18 and sunset will be at 5:05 - 9 hours and 47 minutes of daylight - and 45 of those extra minutes of daylight will be in this evening. I love this because I can still sleep as late as I want in the morning and it's so much nicer to walk the dogs in daylight before dinner.