Summer evenings....

[Mycanid]

A few nights ago I went outside and just lay on my back looking at the stars. I live wwaayyyy out in the sticks and so the stars are crystal-clear in the sky. The wind was blowing in the trees and a lovely, comfortable breeze was "seughing" in my ears (there are pine and oak trees on the property). It's such a consolation after a hot, dry day for me ... sometimes when I can't sleep I'll just walk around in the middle of the night barefoot in the moon's light, the earth is still a little warm then and all is quiet.

Anyway, the other night as I was lying there a thought suddenly occured to me ... I wondered if any other of my fellow Ennie's do this?

 

[Jdvn1]

It's too hot to do that this time of year around here...

Though, I do like doing that. Also, it's nice if I bring my telescope with me.

 

[Tinker Gnome]

I would get devoured by mosquitos if I tried that.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

When I was a kid, we had a sailboat on the Chesapeake. I used to love it when we were anchored at night in the middle of the bay.

I miss that. I live in the city now, and I can't remember the last time it was really, truly night. Too much light pollution.

 

[LightPhoenix]

A combination of light pollution, mosquitoes, and general Northeast cloudiness generally prevents me from doing this.

During the day, I enjoy just lying in the sun in the park though.

 

[MavrickWeirdo]

I live in the city, but my grandmother's house is in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. They have a pretty night sky up there.

 

[Mycanid]

Hey LightPhoenix ... I grew up in Syracuse. Mosquitoes were always the main problem for me up there. But I would do it in the autumn too - way less of the nasty little insects then.

One wonderful way to get to see the night sky is to go into the southwestern desert or up on top of mountains (in my case I am about 3000 feet above sea level, for example).

Jdvn - it's too hot to do that at 1 am where you are???

Roderigo - yes, the middle of a lake or such is a wonderful place to see the sky clearly. I'm not much of a deep-water person, though. Land lubber through and through I'm afraid.

Galeros - you must live in Missouri, eh?

Mavrick - YES. New Hampshire is quite beautiful. And not too far a drive from where you are.

 

[Chimera]

My favorite time of the day is that brief period from sunset to complete darkness. It is still light out, but the sun is gone, often with lingering sunset effects. The wind too tends to die down (though not always) and things get quiet and peaceful.

When I had a schedule that accomodated it, I used to go for walks in the middle of the night. Not too many people around most of the time.

Unfortunately, my alarm goes off at 4:55am these days, a time of day that I used to think of as semi-mythical.

 

[genshou]

It's in the high 80s in °F in the middle of the night here. I spend as little time outside as possible, even at night.

 

[jaerdaph]

I miss that. I live in the city now, and I can't remember the last time it was really, truly night. Too much light pollution.

During the blackout of 2003, you could actually see the stars above the Empire State Building. Despite the blackout, it was somehow very peaceful.