Shifting Suns
Our many years living close to the Equator had taught us new sun patterns. Gone were the longer sunrise and twilight zones. It all happens in a matter of minutes up there catching many visitors out as they linger on thinking they still have time before nightfall.
But, already three years back in our beloved New Zealand, and we are once again back in the flow of longer evenings. So, when we got to Arthur’s Pass it was a bit of a shock the first morning that the daylight came so sheepishly 6:00am, …7:00am,…8:00am,… 9:00am, …10:00am, …10:30…then WHAM! over the top of the mountain peaks surrounding the pass and it was ‘all on like donkey-Kong’…(a phrase used often by my five ’90’s kids, so excuse the lingo in my text. 🙂 )
The layers of jackets, thermals, scarves and hats, were fast discarded as the sun beamed down hard and fast. We enjoyed trouser legs up and tee-shirts donned in the warmth.
BUT…
Beware the 4:00pm hour!
Making the most of a beautiful day and having stopped to sketch the local Chalet, I was one minute looking at my subject in bright sunshine, the next looking up from applying some paint and my subject was now totally in shadow. I tried to finish as best I could from memory while kicking myself for not having taken a reference photo at the start.And the next I was adding to the remonstrating with myself for not having brought my jacket with me. Without the sun the temperature was plummeting fast and additional warmth was required again.
Lessons learnt, though at least I can look forward to tomorrow morning’s sleep in..the silver lining on this shifting sun.
#grateful
Lynda Symons Artistry 