You know its coming…

Posted on September 26, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Autumn, Cold, Dark, Earth, Equinox, Life, Long evenings, North, seasons, South, Tipped earth, World6 Comments

In the northern hemisphere at least. We’ve hit the equinox, when the day and night lengths are the same. Cold, arrives, now. Unless we get some late summer heat. There’s been hailstorm in the North East of England and heavy rain in Scotland. Across the Northern hemisphere there have been hurricanes in North America and Typhoons in Asia.

The other side of the world is experiencing Spring. The South is getting warmer as the Earth starts to tip its south Pole towards the sun. The tilt of the Earth means that we have seasons. If the world was at 90° day and night would be equal across the whole world. 12 hours of light, 12 hours of dark. No glorious late evenings in summer or long dark nights in winter. What an interesting world we live on.

And it’s not flat!

Winter greys

Posted on September 8, 2020September 8, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Dark, Grey, Icy, Lake, Life, Photos, Poem, Poetry, Pond, Rain, Sad, Snow, Weather, Wet, WinterLeave a comment

Soon there will be bare trees

Dark skies

Fallen leaves

Damp leaf litter

Cold miserable ducks

Sitting on icy ponds

Or Canada geese

Stretching their legs

Ruffling their feathers

Trying to keep warm.

Weather drawing in

Cold wind

Rain falling in sheets

Snow and sleet showers.

Winter greys, not blues….

Firey flowers…

Posted on September 7, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Begonia, Dark, Firework, Flowers, Gardening, Hanging basket, Life, Night, Photo, YardLeave a comment

Just Begonias in the dark, taken last night through the window, the light on them is from the standard lamp we have in the living room. I thought it looked like a firework going off in the dark, cool, night.

Cloud over Barlaston

Posted on September 5, 2020September 5, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Black, Blue, Canal, Dark, Life, Moths, Nightfall, Poem, Poetry, Sky, Towpath, WalkingLeave a comment

Soft little clouds

Fluttering like bird feathers

Swirling down the air currents

Darkness falling

Now the moon rises

Shadows lengthen.

Time to stretch our legs,

Head home,

A long, flat walk

Into the dusk.

Bat’s flitter overhead,

Moths race to our torches.

Mistaking them for the rising moon.

Home in time for supper.

Blue sky lost in the dark….

Binoculars

Posted on August 10, 2020August 10, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Binoculars, Blogging, Comet Neowise, Dark, Galaxies, Looking, Moon, Neowise, Stars, ViewLeave a comment

Want to see the stars? You don’t need an expensive telescope. Maybe just a pair of binoculars (you can get monocular too). You just have to get them set up so you can see images clearly. You can use them to look at the moon, where you will be able to see more of the craters and mare (seas). These are not actually filled with water, but flattened areas amongst the craters. There is the sea of tranquility where Apollo 11 landed for instance. Other things that binoculars make visible include some galaxies and comet Neowise which is gradually fading as it moves away from the sun. It is visible above the western horizon below the star Arcturus (follow the stars of the big dipper handle down till you get to a bright star, then look about halfway between it and the horizon. It is an idea to look in a dark sky area, and allow your eyes to become adapted to the dark for about twenty minutes to allow the pupils of your eyes to open fully.

It’s been cloudy here so I haven’t seen it!

Hedgehog in the shed

Posted on August 3, 2020August 3, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blogging, Cat Food, Dark, Environment, Food, Hedgehogs, Life, Light, Nature, News, Night, Random, Shed, TorchLeave a comment

I just went out to check if there were hedgehogs in the shed. One was eating cat food but scuttled over to the corner as I shone my light in, so I took a quick photo and came out again. It’s quite a cool night so at least the poor thing has some shelter, food and water in there. There is a smaller one somewhere so we might have Hoglets soon. I think the shed needs tidying up a bit. Hubby seems to leave everything on the floor, but as long as there isn’t anything dangerous for the hedgehogs to eat they should be fine. I’ve got details now of the local hog charity so I might get in touch tomorrow. X

Are the stars out?

Posted on June 13, 2020June 13, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Astronomy, Constellation, Countryside, Dark, Galaxies, Learn, Observe, Space, Stars, Time, WatchingLeave a comment

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In the sky I see stars, not many, the major constellations, ursa major, ursa minor, casseopea. Its hard to make out because the clouds are flitting by. And despite lockdown, the street lights still deaden them.

I’ve only ever felt the greatness and infinity of space when we were out in the countryside. Seeing the milky way galaxy made me feel so tiny. Like I could fall off the surface of the earth, into a whirlpool of stars. Seeing that band of stardust overhead can be overwhelming.

Dark skies, where the town and city light does not reflect back. Where you can lie down on the ground and see shooting stars flying overhead. I may have seen satellites or the ISS but I wouldn’t be sure. We have seen comets…

The sky is there to observe. Look if you can, and learn.

Staying up late

Posted on January 16, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Dark, Doze, Early morning, Late night, Night, Poem, Poetry, Sleep, TiredLeave a comment

If it was summer

The dawn would be arriving,

If it was autumn

The sun would be up in a while

But winter fails the light

Sun stays abed

Darkness rules

And my mind

In need of peace

Stays awake

And I stay with it

Up late

Before it’s early. Tired

Dozing in a warm glow

of remembered sunsets.

Rafters

Posted on January 2, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blood, Count Dracula, Dark, Fear. Horror, Poem, Poetry, Rafters, shadowLeave a comment

Up in the rafters something stirs?

Bat’s in my belfry?

What can it be.

Scrawling

And crawling

And scratching around

I look about

to see what can be found?

Suddenly flowing

Drops of red blood,

Oh my dear lord

That can’t be good?

Now our of the shadows

Comes a caped figure.

Standing in front of me?

It is Count Dracula!

At Etruria today

Posted on November 28, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Damp, Dark, Etruria, Grey day, Leaves, Poem, Poetry, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Trent and mersey canal, Water, WetLeave a comment

Grey day on the canal,

Leaves float,

Cygnets shelter from the rain.

Boats huddle near the bridge,

Wrapped in old tarpaulins.

Smoke drifts up from stoves

that sit below the water levels.

Tea kettles boil and whistle,

Stained hands make a brew,

wiping off excess oil on grubby teacloths.

Leaves create mosaics of moist greens and browns.

Trees splinter into the sky,

Bursting like fireworks

But wet black,

No sparkle

Just grey, wet, dank…

And beautiful.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Dark