As the colors in the trees fade and my part of the world prepares for a long winter’s sleep, I turn my eye to the sky. See, many here don’t like late fall : They consider it depressing, bare and devoid of life. But I always say, you just have to know where to look.
My children have always been early risers. With Little Man’s special nature, it has been especially true. The only way we get him to sleep a whole night is to check for his sleeping cues and follow them and that usually means in bed by 6 h 30 pm. So you can imagine how upbeat and ready to take on the world he is at 4 h 30 am. My kiddos share a room in our tiny little home, so my daughter is usually up at the same time and our day begins. They do not know the meaning of week-ends either. This is our reality 7 days a week. You learn to adapt and look for the positives. One of them has definitely been being able to watch the sunrise.
I have a spot, 5 minutes walk from our house, that gives me an uninterrupted view of the sky to the East. It overlooks the river that runs by our town and stretches over a vast expanse of evergreens. This is where I choose to meditate on certain week-end mornings, while the kids stay tucked in on the couch with dad.
I love the cold for many reasons, but the clarity of the sky is top on my list. Everything is brighter at this time of year and the light, although shorter in hours, seems more present to me. It makes more of an impact on my soul, I take it less for granted. I’ve always been a “quality over quantity” person. Like the strong, more resilient plants I pick from the wild to make my medicines, winter light seems stronger because of the season that fights against it. Better adapted to its environment, restorative, welcomed.
And when you get to the end of these much shorter days, the sky reminds you again of the power of its light. Our evening walks have become more quiet and contemplative, they have become subtle and a time for turning inwards.
“I think for the next 5 minutes mom, I want us to not talk okay?” Little Miss asked on Sunday night, as we were walking the last trail back to our car. And we obliged. We all looked up as we absorbed the last slivers of light coming over the horizons. You need to stop and watch, the sun setting so quickly now. But catching a glimpse of it is like poetry.
Have you looked up lately? How is the sky where you are?
Family, Faith, Food and Fabric 
I do want to love this time of year but November in the UK usually equals grey skies which are heavy and dark, you need the lights on in the house all the time, despite the fact that we have enormous windows in all our rooms. It has been like that for over a week now. When we do have a, rare, blue sky day we are outside like a shot! So looking up at the moment means a very wet face as it is also pouring with rain :(. Perhaps you could send me some of your beautiful skies?
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If I could jar it up, I would send you some for sure. And believe me, we have been extra blessed this year because November usually means a lot more rain and gloom than we have gotten so far. I’m so sorry the weather has been so unpleasant in your part of the world. It always amazes me how different Canada and the UK are considering we are at the same latitudes. I hope you get a break very soon.
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What a beautiful post, Yanic! Both the words and the pictures. My husband often gets up for work at 4.30 a.m., but not me! I can’t imagine what state I would be in if I got up at that hour every day! What time do you go to bed?
The skies here are menacing, with dark grey clouds moving quickly and the every-present threat of squally showers. We’ve had very strong winds for two days. Not much light to be seen…But we had an opportunity to look up at the sky last weekend, because it was Bonfire Night and we took the children to a firework display for the first time.
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LOL! I go to bed around 9h-9h30pm. It does take some mental training and a bit of extra coffee some mornings, but we manage okay. I keep reminding myself that soon enough, they will be teenagers and then, I won’t be able to get them OUT of bed!
Now fireworks are an all special kind of light! Sounds like it was a lot of fun.I hope you guys get nice sunny skies soon. Is winter usually grey or sunny in your country? Like I was saying in a previous comment, it always fascinates me that we re at the same latitudes, but have such different climates.
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Winter is unpredictable. So is summer. 😉 I like cold, crisp, sunny days best of all, but there are quite rare.
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Cold, crisp and sunny are usually a staple here in winter… they are also usually accompanied with -30’C weather. LOL!
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It is one of my daily joys to watch the sun, both as it rises and as it sets. These days I get a wonderful view of the setting sun as I wash the dinner dishes, it is amazing, and night after night I am amazed at the beauty it bestows, each day a little different. The morning sun I share with my little man, he usually wakes as it is beginning to rise, and together we watch it, sometimes from outside, but on chilly mornings, from the window.
I agree with you the sky this time of year is amazing. I have been watching it, enjoying the deep blueness of it on the cooler days, and soaking up the open expanse of it now that the trees are bare.
Enjoy, my friend.
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We like to watch the sun through the windowws as well, but unfortunately, we aare surrounded by houses so it’s usually a pretty obstructed view. But we never have to walk very far.
Wishing you many more stunning sunny skies my friend. xo
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Our skies are beautiful too. Each season brings with it great beauty, but I especially like early mornings and evenings when things are quieter. 🙂
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Yes, me too… I don’t get much quiet in the morning, but the evenings are long and peaceful. Our twinkle lights will be going up soon. I cannot wait. Wishing you all those quiet moments… xox
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430! My, what a patient Mama you must be 😉 I like getting up early, but only if the house is quiet an I can wake up slowly, as I usually need to.
Reading this makes me realize how our evening meal has coincided with the sunset, since we moved our clocks back for DLS. We will have to get back out to see it. we have beautiful ones here this time of year because the high altitude air is so clear.
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I don’t know how “patient I am”… But I am a morning person no matter what the circumstance and even without the coffee, I can usually jump into action pretty quick… but OH, that first cup of coffee…
Sunset is well passed when my husband comes home from work now. Our “evening” walks are more late afternoon walks on the week-ends. Those allow us to watch the sunset outdoors. But during the week, walks after dinner are in the dark usually. But that gives way to another sort of light : Starlight… So many ore stars on cold nights. 🙂
I bet the sky is so beautiful in the mountains… I would love to see that one day!
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Oh what a beautiful spot! Now that we’re well into the Autumn I see the sunrise on my way to work and I try to remember to watch for sunset from my office. It was beautiful tonight, all gold and pink and blue, a lovely change from the dark grey rain clouds!
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Oh, I’m so happy that you guys are getting a small break in the darkness above. Do you work extra late? What time does the sun set in your parts?
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Très jolies images Yanic. De notre maison, on ne peut pas facilement voir le lever et le coucher du soleil. Trop de maisons et d’arbres obstruent la vue (mais bon, je ne me plaindrai pas des arbres, c’est trop bien d’en avoir tour autour!). Mais si on se donne la peine de marcher 5 minutes, on arrive au bord de l’eau et la vue est superbe. Le seul bémol, je n’ai pas très souvent envie d’y aller très tôt le matin! Je préfère rester au chaud à l’intérieur avec un thé ou un café 😉 Et c’est aussi très souvent venteux. La vue des tempêtes est cependant magnifique quand on a pas peur d’affronter les éléments et c’est idéal pour faire voler les cerf-volants 🙂
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Merci pour ton gentil commentaire Marie. J’imagine que le coucher du soleil doit être sublime aussi chez toi… ta plage donne sur l’Ouest? Nous aussi, nous devons marcher un peu pour avoir une vue clair, mais jamais bien loin : Mon petit coin sur la Rivière le matin, la piste cyclable le soir. Les 2 son à moins de 5 minutes.
Des fois, moi aussi, je reste au chaud. Mais j’aime me forcer à sortir… l’air du matin a une énergie toute spéciale.
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En fait il y a deux plages. La plus près donne plein sud, mais comme elle est très vaste, on a une bonne vue du soleil couchant à ce temps-ci de l’année. Pour l’autre, elle donne sur l’est, alors c’est très bien pour le lever. Et je suis tout à fait d’accord avec toi, l’air du matin a une énergie toute spéciale, très apaisante. J’aime vraiment beaucoup 🙂
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Comme ça doit être beau par chez vous… un jour, je visiterai la C.-B.!
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such a lovely text…
we’ve a similar place to watch the sundown, not the sunrise, luckily my daughter goes to sleep by 8.30 and wakes up at 7 +/-, but i go to sleep along with her (she sleeps with us in our tiny tiny house too :)) and i fall asleep almost everyday.
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Oh dear, I’m trying to imagine sharing a bed with my kids… they are both such “busy” sleepers! They will twist themselves 180 degrees every night and end up with their heads facing down. It would be a very acrobatc night sleep for sure. LOL!
Wow, sleeping until 7! I don’t even remember what that is like. I keep reminding myself that one day, they will be teenagers and I won’t be able to get them up at all. 🙂
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Oh, I love fall. It’s my favorite season. I love the folding in, the slowing down. The shorter days. I don’t find it depressing at all! I guess with all the outdoor work the horses and land bring it’s nice to have the “excuse” to curl up inside and be cozy, sleep in, read, relax, catch up on other things, just enjoy the ebb and flow of the cycles.
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Like you, I love the “any excuse is good to stay in” period. 🙂 I like to tell people I’m a mammal, so I hibernate. It doesn’t make me blue, I just soak it all up. And when Spring comes around, I’m ready and rested. Since we started homesteading, winter feels like a vacation to me.
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Yep, that’s how it feels to me too!
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this is so beautiful yanic! you always have such a wonderful perspective. we don’t get the best view of the sky here… there are so many trees. we see very little sunrise. we don’t have a very clear view of the skies sunset either but luckily the evening show reflects on the water and we see all of the beautiful colors there. mostly our sky is grey, but i actually enjoy it. i enjoy the simple palette of winter… green, brown, grey, and white.
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Thank you for your kind words again.
Oh wow, watching the sunset from below must be such an amazing show indeed. And I guess there are much worse things than missing the sunrise because of too many beautiful trees! LOL!
Like you though, I don’t mind the more gray and rainy/snowy palette we’ll be enjoying soon. Although funny enough, we are so close to the city that on cloudy winter nights, the sky turns pink because of the city lights reflecting off the clouds! 🙂
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Oui, ce serait trop bien! Je pourrai t’aider planifier ton séjour. Il y a beaucoup de belle choses à voir!
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Hehe! C’est certain, si je suis par chez vous, tu le sauras! 🙂
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Sometimes the sky is empty and blue for days and then sometimes it full of puff clouds moving past a top speed. Today it was an empty blue day.
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Ours was clear of clouds this morning too, but we still were blessed with layers of yellows, oranges, blues and pinks at sunrise. I think the cold does it… that, and living so close to the city. There is one good thing about a bit of smog! LOL!
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What a beautifully written post, you’ve captured your appreciation for the light so well I think. We have had very little blue sky here all Autumn, lots of rain and wind unfortunately, although very mild too so I shouldn’t complain from that side of it. But when we next have a cold, fresh, bright day with blue skies I will appreciate it all the more now for reading your post.
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Thank you… We have been watching the light rise and set through a thick layer of clouds for quite a few days, now. We are looking forward to the sun coming back next week. The sun is rising at 7h15am now and setting at 3h55pm. The days are short but plentiful. 🙂
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