Getting home in the dark

[sinjin]

I loathe the winter. Even here in SoCal the short days make it impossible to plan anything with my young son outdoors after work. So here's my question:

Given that it gets dark at six/six-thirty every day of the year in Hawaii, how does it effect your homelife when the typical nine to five means one'll be getting home near dark all the time? Seems like to never be able to toss the ball around the yard or whatever after work would be lousy.

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Getting home in the dark

*shrug* You don't miss what you never had. For those of us born and raised in the islands, we don't think about it that way. In fact it was weird for me when I lived in northern California and it stayed light till as late as 9 o'clock in the summertimes. Threw me off, I tell you.

But maybe that's why there are so many jobs here that start early and end early. Gotta get in that time for after-work surfing, yeah?

[pzarquon]

Re: Getting home in the dark

I dunno, I think there's still a fair amount of seasonal variation in daylight hours here. I know that during the summer, I do get home early enough to go play outside with my kids, something they lament and miss during the winter, when it's at best twilight... and the frequent rain doesn't help, either.

[helen]

Re: Getting home in the dark

I was in the northern California during the wintertime and it was trip when it got dark at 4:30 in the afternoon.

I think late fall/early winter it gets dark here before 6pm and the summer time it gets dark after 7:00 pm. Even now which is considered winter it's getting dark after 6:15 pm.

[sinjin]

Re: Getting home in the dark

I dunno, I think there's still a fair amount of seasonal variation in daylight hours here. I know that during the summer, I do get home early enough to go play outside with my kids, something they lament and miss during the winter, when it's at best twilight... and the frequent rain doesn't help, either.

Having never spent a full year in Hawaii I wasn't sure how much variation you saw. Are summer days even a full hour longer than winter days?

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Getting home in the dark

Having never spent a full year in Hawaii I wasn't sure how much variation you saw. Are summer days even a full hour longer than winter days?

Here are the longest and shortest days of the year in Hawaii, from http://www.sunrisesunset.com/calendar.asp:

June 21, 2006
Sun Rise: 5:49am
Sun Set: 7:15pm
Moon Rise: 2:24am
Moon Set: 3:52pm

December 21, 2006
Sun Rise: 7:04am
Sun Set: 5:53pm
Moon Rise: 8:22am
Moon Set: 7:15pm

So in the summer, we've got 13 and a half hours of sunlight, max. And in the winter it's down to a little under 11 hours.

[pzarquon]

Re: Getting home in the dark

June 21, 2006 ... Sun Set: 7:15pm
December 21, 2006 ... Sun Set: 5:53pm

Thanks, Glen. Sounds about right. So, that's not a small difference (though nothing like the difference at more extreme latitudes). If you're lucky to leave work at 5 p.m. and be home in an hour -- I know, I know, let's just say -- you'd be home after dark in December, but you'd have at least an hour of decent light in June.

[sinjin]

Re: Getting home in the dark

Thanks GM. I'm thinking green gum at you.

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Getting home in the dark

Now would that be spearmint or peppermint?

[Pomai]

Re: Getting home in the dark

Alaska's Winter and Summer solstice must be a tough one to adapt to if you're not from there. Living in darkness or daylight for 18-24 hours of the day would initially make me feel like either a vampire or crack addict. lol

[Menehune Man]

Re: Getting home in the dark

Both my wife and I work the 4 to midnight shifts at our respective work places. Another way to live an 'alternative lifestyle'. Of course, it's always dark when we get home!

[sinjin]

Re: Getting home in the dark

Now would that be spearmint or peppermint?

Waaasaaabi!

[adrian]

Re: Getting home in the dark

My Motorola v635 has a convenient flash for the camera that will also double as a flashlight when I get home late.