Hello, Rural Sprout readers,Ā Next weekend is the end of daylight savings time. In some ways, itās the easier of the two time changes, since we get to sleep in for an extra hour. Well, some of us do. My internal perimenopausal alarm clock insists that Iām up well before the sun
these days.Ā Iāve stopped fighting it and have found such beauty and peace in these hours.Ā The Danes have this time of year totally figured out with their hygge lifestyle, so Iāve taken a page out of their book. I skip the harsh overhead lights and turn on a small night light in the wee hours of the morning. I even light a candle or two in
the kitchen while I make my coffee and feed the cats.Ā I donāt know what it is about this time of day, but it almost feels sacred.Ā It probably has to do with how few of us are actually awake to experience it, so it feels luxurious. Yes, 5:00 a.m. can be luxurious. Ā This past September, I
went to the beach with my daughter and son-in-law. We did a ātogether but separateā vacation, staying in different lodgings. Some activities we did together and some apart. It was wonderful. But the highlight for me was an early morning on the beach.Ā Ā Itās obligatory. When youāre on the East Coast, you have to watch a sunrise.Ā As a photographer, Iām well aware of āgolden hourā, that magical quality of light you get an hour just after the sun rises and an hour before sunset. But what many photographers and most of us humans miss out on is āblue hourā ā the hour before
sunrise and after sunset. Ā On our second-to-last day at the beach, I got up at 5:00 a.m., dressed, made my coffee and wrapped a shawl around my shoulders for the breeze. Then I walked the two blocks to the shore with my travel mug in hand. I got to the beach at 5:45 a.m., an hour before sunrise.Ā The ocean was calm and quiet. The beach was deserted.Ā I had to be the only person around for a mile. It was dark. The stars were still out, and a tiny sliver of moon hung low on the horizon. As I sat in the sand, listening to the waves on the shore and sipping my coffee, the sky turned the most incredible
blue. I was sitting beneath a canopy of sapphire. Ā Ā On the horizon, long before the sun rose, the black line of the ocean met with the loveliest purples that shifted into soft rose before being absorbed into the world of blue above me.Ā Ā I snapped a quick photo and tucked my phone back in my pocket. I didnāt want to miss a second.The sunrise is always warm with hot pink and blazing oranges, but the predawn before me was an oasis of cool hues. And it was all for me. I was the only one standing on the beach to see it. Ā As I stood there alone and speechless, the colors faded. The washed gray of dawn took their place just as the people who got up to catch the sunrise began to arrive, and I finished the last sip of my coffee.Ā Ā When that first slice of neon pink rose from the oceanās surface, I watched the people around me and smiled to myself. The show was already over. They missed it
and didnāt even know it. Ā Next weekend, when weāre all adjusting to the semi-annual time change, if you find yourself lying awake long before the sun rises, remember, this time can be something magical. It all depends on how you look at it. Ā
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Don't waste green tomatoes at the end of the season, ripen them indoors and enjoy delicious, red tomatoes long into the fall!
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How do you get it to bloom? Christmas or Thanksgiving? What do you mean it bears fruit? Things you need to know about your Christmas cactus.
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Everyone loves carving pumpkins! Until we remember how much work they are. Make your jack-o-lanterns a breeze with our pumpkin carving hacks.
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The northern spicebush deserves a spot in your yard, you won't find a shrub with more going for it than this incredible native species.
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Easy and quick - mix up this batch of mulling spices and enjoy a mulled wine or cider that will warm you on even the chilliest of winter days.
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Create a hidden greenhouse in your kitchen with this set of adaptable grow lights. Grow herbs, lettuce, houseplants and more on your counters.
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All it takes is one plant. Then it's a couple, and what's a few more? Now you have ten, but wouldn't 12 be better? Once you're up to 20, that's it. There is no turning
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We all need a little color to chase the winter blues away. Here are ten, easy-care houseplants that bloom in the winter.
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Finding free food is always a cause for celebration among the homesteading types, and the pawpaw is a prized yet often forgotten option. Considered the largest native North American fruit, pawpaws grow in 26 US
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A hori hori is really the ideal tool for us easily distracted gardeners. Maybe you know the drill. You set out into the garden with a specific task in mind and you spot a clump
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Tell me if this has ever happened to you, my friend. Spring rolls around, and you're ready to get out in the garden and start the season properly. Only you can't seem to find your
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I'm not typically one to tackle DIY projects. Anything that requires a power tool is largely out of my wheelhouse. That was until I found pictures online of a glass cabinet greenhouse I simply had
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Let's do something good for the environment, and do clear up some cupboard space. Here's 32 ways to reuse plastic grocery bags.
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Wish you had room for a garden? If you have windowsills then you already do. Here's 17 vegetables you can easily grow on your windowsill.
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Whether you want a tiny greenhouse for a few tomato plants or a giant structure for feeding your entire family, we have a DIY greenhouse for you.
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Did you miss a newsletter or want to read a few for inspiration? Find past newsletters here.Ā Don't forget to check out our Facebook page for daily updates.Ā That's all for this week, Rural Sprout Readers. |
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