Harboring Lights

March 18, 2022. Sunset 7:37 PM.

“Today’s sundown in Key West c/o ella … Wow!”
Thanks Joe and Ella-- so many little lights-- at sea and in the sky...

another sunrise from Joe's family of early risers

March 18, 2022. Sunrise 7:12 AM.

"Sunrise today in Myrtle Beach c/o my sister Cindy and brother in law Kevin… Wow!"
- Joe P
Thanks again to you and your family for the vicarious peaceful morning.

Saint Patrick and the Equilux

March 17, 2022. Sunset 7:18 PM. San Francisco, CA A few days before the Spring Equinox every year, we here at this latitude -- usually on Saint Patrick's Day- experience the Equilux. It’s the actual day where we spend equal time in the light as in the dark- By the time we will arrive at the Equinox on Sunday- we will already be sitting under several minutes more sunshine than in darkness. Here we go!

On Time

March 14, 2022, Sunrise 7:30 AM. Miami, Florida

"It is 2 minutes after the exact sunrise".
- Ana Léon
Thanks Ana for sharing your first sunrise in Daylight Savings Time. It looks so serene at that hour..

March 5, 2022. Sunset (6:32 PM) from Gasparilla Island, FL

c/o my (and Bill’s) friends Dot and Patrick McFadden
- Joe P.
thanks Joe -- almost approaching the possibility of the green flash! It's also feels really nice to bring Bill into this moment.

another sunrise from Joe's family of early risers

March 4, 2022. Sunrise 6:48 AM.

“Sunrise today in Munhall, PA c/o my sister Cindy and brother in law Kevin… 😮 “
- Joe P
Hi Joe—thanks for this. Those trees are still so wintry- but that golden sky is warm looking.... Equinox coming soon!

from the beginning

March 3, 2022. Sunrise 6:38 AM. San Francisco, CA.

"Good morning. I saw the sunrise today at 6:38 and beyond. It was a pretty one"
- Lynne Piade
It’s amazing- even though the changes from one moment to the next are subtle, by the end of that 5 minutes, daytime is definitely underway.

February 27, 2022. Sunset 5:53 PM. Santa Barbara, CA.

"More paradise"
- Thea F.

just around the bend...

February 26, 2022. Sunset 6:20 PM. Miami, FL.

"Reporting from Miami 6:21 PM" - Ana L.
Thanks Ana-- so subtle and just at the horizon - Good catch!

homestretch

February 21, 2022. Sunset 5:47 PM. Santa Barbara, CA.

“Almost there... (5:21)”
- Thea Farhadian

up to her old tricks

February 12, 2022. Sunset 5:45 PM. San Francisco, CA. Riley returns. Guest appearance from Emily and Riley after our visit to dog world at Ft. Funston. So many dogs running around the dunes!!!

to the left of the sun

February 10, 2022. Sunset 5:42 PM. Berkeley Marina, CA.

- from Thea
UFO over the bridge???

sunrise from Joe's sister

February 10, 2022. Sunrise 7:17 AM. Munhall, PA.

“Sunrise today in Munhall, PA…c/o my sister Cindy”
- Joe P.
It looks like two different photos- each cut in half and stuck together--- That sky!!—thanks, Joe!

And how!

February 7, 2022. Sunset 5:30 PM. Hermosa Beach, CA.

“Another beautiful sunset” - Elisabeth Beaird

meeting in the sky

February 5, 2022. Sunset 5:37 PM. Tiburon, CA.

"Sunset Tiburon now".
- Thea Farhadian
Thanks Thea. We received this while we were standing on the sidewalk ringing the sun down out here with some neighbors. We were so happy to see this and think of you watching at the very same moment. 😊

Riley and Emily are moving

January 30 , 2022. Sunset 5:31 PM. San Francisco, CA.

Riley's last sunset (here in front of our home).
Riley has been the most enthusiastic local participant, running out of her house at the sound of the garage door opening to join us on the sidewalk at sunset. I know that she does it for the treats, of which she receives many, but her joy and presence has been gift to all of us.
Sadly, she and her human are moving this weekend to another town on the other side of the Bay, and we will miss them both very much.
Bon Voyage and Good luck Riley and Emily in your new place! ❤️

a glimpse of the future

January 27, 2022. Sunset 5:28 PM. El Cerrito, CA.

"Looking across the SF Bay from El Cerrito."
- Rae Diamond
(the sun sets one minute later over the Pacific Ocean- just 14 miles away)

we choose Riley

January 18, 2022. Sunset 5:18 PM. San Francisco, CA.

You can just tell that this is a beauty, and we'd be able to see it in all its glory if we walked to the end of the block. But then we would miss Riley.

...and she would miss this- Riley is our most enthusiastic bell ringer. She can hear when the garage door opens and runs to her front door-- Anxious to get out-- mostly for the treats that she knows are on the way.

WOW!!!

January 17, 2022. Sunset 5:16 PM. Berkeley, CA.

Sunset from North Berkeley
- Thea.

Joe learns of Makar Sankranti

January 13, 2022. Sunrise 6:42 AM. Bangladesh.
(stock photo)

Yo Brenda! Just learned about this holiday from some work friends and thought of you…
Makar Sankranti
From Joe- P

Postcard from Joe's cousin

January 11, 2022. Sunrise 7:13 AM. Key West, FL.

"Oh my! Cousin Roseanne posted another stunning shot… this one from Key West." - Joe P

first sunrise of the year from Joe

January 9, 2022. Sunrise 7:22 AM. Phila, PA.

"Dawn in Old City Philadelphia today from my friend Chris…nice!"
– Joe P
I love how the streetlights and the dawn are so similar as night gives way to the morning-- beautiful shot!

will work for treats

January 3, 2022. Sunset 5:03. San Francisco, CA.

Santa Baby Riley contemplates performing in costume

— And she goes for it!

a few blocks and a few minutes away

January 1, 2022. Ocean Beach, San Francisco, CA.

"First post-sunset of 2022! 5:20 PM".
- Elisabeth Beaird and Richard Marriott

so what's new?

January 1, 2022. Sunset 5:01 PM. San Francisco, CA.

new- First sunset of the year and a big welcome to our friends visiting from across the bay.
not new - it's cold out here today-- quick in and out. Too lazy to move the car.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!! off we go...

a most joyful noise

January 1, 2022. New Year!! Midnight. San Francisco. I LOVE this moment when we can hear the year flip over. Happy New Year, much love and blessings to everyone.

Last sunrise of the year!

December 31, 2021. Sunrise 7:24 AM. San Francisco, CA.
Out with the old and in with the (better, saner, and your blessing and hope here ______ ) New Year.

Sunset from the East Coast ...

December 29, 2021. Sunset 5:43 PM

from my friend Glenn “Cedar Key on the gulf”
- Joe P

rainrainrainrainrain-- thank you!

December 23, 2021. Sunset 4:55 PM. San Francisco, CA.

Waiting to ring it down in the rain. Everything is so green!

December 23, 2021. Sunrise 7:23 AM

“Sunrise today in Munhall, PA (from my sister Cindy)” - Joe Pokrifka
Thanks Joe- Wintry through and through

Zooming past the shortest day

December 21- 4:53 Berkeley and 4:54 San Francisco, CA.

Turning it around on zoom with friends who observe each Solstice and Equinox with traditional seasonal and spiritual introspection and shared blessings. (Don't blink or you'll miss the sunset moment)
We are on the move...

Beginning of the shortest day

December 21, 2021. Sunrise 7:21 AM. San Francisco, CA.
We're finally here. The Winter Solstice.
Sunrise today at 7:21 AM. The moon was still up. All quiet except for some birds and distant fire engines. Tomorrow will be the beginning of brighter days- at least far as the sun goes.
Many blessings and Happy Solstice!

Prioritizing the photo ops

December 12, 2021. Sunset 4:51 PM. San Francisco, CA.

“We turned the daylight corner here today as the suns sets one minute later than yesterday- YAY! It’s raining today (also YAY!) and cold- so no photo today but yesterday was pretty spectacular!”
Thanks Lynne and Pete

Riding into the melting sunset

December 11, 2021. Sunset 4:50. Oakland, CA.

"On 24 heading towards San Francisco."
- Lynne P.

Sun up or down - somewhere…

December 5, 2021.

“My friend Thom posted this with the caption ‘Beautiful giraffes on safari!’
…when asked where, rise, or set, he replied ‘the internet’…I love it (and Mr Tom)!”
- Joe P.

Happy 6th Night

December 3, 2021. Sunset 4:50 PM. San Francisco, CA.

The 6th night of Hanukkah is brighter than the 5th and tomorrow will be just a bit brighter—Sunset time has also bottomed out! Today is also the 3rd day in a row that the sun is setting at its earliest moment. It will continue to set at the same time for another week before finally opening up again. However, the sun continues to rise later and later each day shortening our days until the Solstice when the day slowly begins to blossom. Coming very soon!!

Have a look at this little graph of the rates of change in sunrise and sunset times- We are sitting the middle of that flat area of dots tracing the sunset on the right. The Winter Solstice is that little red dot in the middle.

I continue to marvel at how unlike an accordion is the collapse and expansion of the daylight. The lopsided approach to the Solstice is far more interesting with one end of the day holding steady at the end of its cycle while the other end of the day finishes in its own time. And we wait.

Sunset in Jenkintown

December 3, 2021. Sunset 4:35 PM. Jenkintown, PA.

“Got this from a neighbor’s FB post: ‘Sunset in Jenkintown’ (12/3/21)”
- Joe P.
Thanks Joe! Your sunset there at 4:35 is about 15 minutes earlier than we have out here-- It will all turn around soon enough!!

A Tail of a Whale

November 26, 2021. Sunrise 7:07 AM. On the open sea, S. Carolina

“Early morning troll” from my cousin Jon by way of Roseanne in SC.
- Joe Pokrifka
Me- Looks like a whale tail in the wake… What a view! Do they have a big fish on that line there???

Geese eclipsing the eclipse

November 18-19, 2021. Partial Lunar Eclipse. Maine.

Photos: Wendy Mae Chambers

I love Riley (the dog)

November 13, 2021. Sunset 5:00. San Francisco, CA. Riley’s “grandfather” accompanied her for the sunset this evening. While he took a bit longer to entice Riley to ring the bell, he was quick with the treats.
Thank you, Gillian for the new little bell that Vangie is ringing from the window upstairs.

Welcome back

November 7, 2021. Sunset 5:04 PM. San Francisco, CA.

First sunset back in Standard Time. Early – yes. But it was pretty nice to wake up to a brighter day this morning instead of the creeping darkness…

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to” adjust the clocks-- RANT

November 6, 2021— End of Daylight Savings time (for now). As part of the growing number of people who would like to remain on a continuous time cycle years-round, I welcome the return to Standard time. Unlike a growing number of people who would like to remain in Daylight Savings Time all year round, I prefer Standard Time.

It’s called Standard Time for a reason: one being that it is an international agreement on a shared time reference. A shared international reference of any kind is a welcome rarity these days. Another point in favor of Standard time is that we are set up (legally) to remain there if we choose (as does Arizona and Alaska already). Each state just has to say they would like to remain there and not switch to Daylight Savings Time. To make DST the new standard would require all states to agree on that—See much chance of that happening? If such a miracle of consensus did take place, then the United States would be at odds with the rest of the world- declaring that our perspective on time itself was now the standard. Yet another opportunity to clearly demonstrate our commitment to free speech and the right to do as we please.

Despite the wistful suggestion that Daylight Savings Time somehow provides more daylight, we know that it doesn’t. It just shifts the same amount of light around. Who prefers more light at the end of a summer day at the expense of waking up to a sunrise at 8:30 on a December morning (at this latitude)? That’s Daylight Savings time. Or we could be satisfied with a lingering twilight in the summer at 8:15 PM or so and wake up to a morning light already in progress (A Standard Time scenario).

Anyway—remember to turn the clocks back before going to bed this evening—See you in the morning!

Venus just left of center

November 4, 2021. Sunset 6:06 PM. El Cerrito, CA.

"new moon sunset. you can see Venus just left of center if you zoom in"
- Rae Diamond
(You can also see the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge in the dip between the two distant land masses) -- One of our latest sunsets for the rest of the year...

Thanks again to Joe's early rising sister

October 24, 2021, Sunrise 7:18 AM.

“Sunrise today in Ocean City, MD courtesy of my sister Cindy… Wow!”
- Joe P.
Wow is right!- Thanks Joe-- this is intense! Looks like a much warmer time of year as well- I notice the person on the beach is bundled up.

one year already gone

October 22, 2021. Sunrise 7:25 AM. San Francisco, CA. Sunrise one year after my dad passed away. A rainy morning blessing in so many ways. I'm ever grateful to everyone who made it possible for me to drive across the country and back in order to be there for my dad's 91st birthday and final sunset.

I miss you, dad.