Thursday 3th December - Advent Calendar 3

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b041ybhz (make sure you have sound ON)

http://www.birdsongradio.co.uk/birdsong-radio-mp3-download.php

Did you know that the dawn chorus is just beginning at 5:15 am? That's not the kind of news I would wish anyone to discover by experience unless they had chosen to.

I opened the front door (in my dressing gown) to see who else up and down the street was awake. No-one.

Did you know that if you miss-place the space when you write "That's not" you get "That' snot" which is quite appropriate if you have a cold? Neither did I until I did it just now. (And I don't have a cold at the moment).

Luckily I spotted the typo in time, but it was too good not to share so I did it again.

Oh yes. Advent. Calendars. That's the title.

Green Tea today in the little drawer. I shall look forward to that at some stage today. I drank most of yesterday's Afternoon Tea at lunchtime, and the rest, rather on the luke side of warm after an overly energetic music lesson with the Reception children. "Feeling the beat - moving in time to the music". Why do they all prefer to bounce like kangaroos all the time? I managed to get away with just pretending to bounce; sort of bobbing up and down with a sort of enthusiastic smile. Clapping is so much easier. This afternoon I'm looking to a nice sit-down while I watch the school Christmas Show (and keep an a eye on the children - my "Number 1 Glare" usually stops any misbehaviour pretty quickly).   

Sunday 29th November - Early Mornings

Early mornings have been rather a feature of this last month.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawn
Early morning in Xepon, Laos (July 2004)

Dawn (from an Old English verb dagian "to become day") is the time that marks, depending on the specific usage, the beginning of the twilight before sunrise, the period of the pre-sunrise twilight or the time of sunrise. When identified as the beginning of or the period of twilight, it is recognized by the presence of weak sunlight, while the Sun itself is still below the horizon. (Wikipedia)


As often happens, I've started blogging about one thing (whinging about waking up too early too often) and found myself following a much more interesting trail. Did you know there were different types of dawn?

More Wikipedia:

Dawn of astronomical twilight

Astronomical twilight begins at the moment after which the sky is no longer completely dark. This occurs when the Sun is 18 degrees below the horizon in the morning.^[5] Though it is possible to localize the direction of the Sun during astronomical dawn and dusk, people in general experience astronomical dawn and dusk as night, even without clouds. The zenith is dark and more than just the brightest stars can be seen (except low above the horizon in the direction of the sun).

Dawn of nautical twilight

 

Nautical twilight begins at the time at which there is enough sunlight for the horizon and some objects to be distinguishable; formally, when the Sun is 12 degrees below the horizon in the morning

 

Dawn of civil twilight

Civil twilight begins at the time at which there is enough light for objects to be distinguishable, so that outdoor activities can commence; formally, when the Sun is 6 degrees below the horizon in the morning. At civil dawn there is no darkness in any direction, nor at the zenith. The sky is bright, even when cloudy.

 
 


 Looking at that, I think we have been waking up at all sorts of different dawns. Hey ho, tea is a good thing at any time of day or night.

Another cup? Don't mind if I do.

Saturday 31st May - The Dawn Chorus

For the last few weeks I have been trying to convince myself that it is a privilege to be able to listen to the dawn chorus every morning.

I was quite successful in taking this view for the first couple of days.

Something seems to wake us at about half-past three most mornings - we don't know what it is (apart from the morning when a noisy magpie had a temper tantrum right by our bedroom window for about three-quarters of an hour). Maybe someone in our road is on an early shift, and roars off to work in a decrepit old diesel van. Perhaps a fox comes through and barks under the window. Could it be the change in light levels? Our curtains are very thin and threadbare.

Whatever it is that wakes us, it doesn't happen here - we are staying in an English Heritage property overlooking The Battlefield below Battle Abbey.

Here's the view from our bedroom window this morning (that's The Field, through the trees)

 

Best of all, we didn't get to see the view until nearly seven o'clock. 

Breakfast time now.