This week as I looked out my kitchen window at the bare branches of the walnut silhouetted against the lovely evening colour I thought about the various names for this enchanting time of day and when I learnt them.
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That's my kitchen cabinet reflected in the glass |
Sunset
I don't remember when I first learnt this word but I transcribed the poem The Australian Sunrise by James Lister Cuthbertson into my school poetry anthology when I was 7 or 8 years old. I still have that anthology.
Eventide
My first memory of this one was when the lovely white haired organist at church had a stroke and had to go into care. She went to the Eventide Home at Sandgate in Brisbane. I thought it was a nice name.
Twilight
As a child in Queensland I had no idea about twilight. Night just falls there, day one minute and night the next. When we went down south to Melbourne to visit my Mum's family we couldn't understand why we were being sent to bed when it was still daytime. We were told "It's not daytime it's twilight now go to bed".
Dusk
In my today world there are those enticing Dusk candle shops. I love candles but scurry past them holding my breath because the perfume triggers hay fever. The Lush shops, perfume counters in the department stores and soap powder aisles in supermarkets do that too.
Gloaming
This is an old fashioned word that I would never have learnt but for the Girl Guide campfire song.
Fires burning, fires burning
Draw nearer, draw nearer
In the gloaming, in the gloaming
Come sing and be merry
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| Last night's fire at Rose Orchard Haus |
It might not be a campfire but it sure makes my heart sing as I settle down to rest by the fire each winter evening.
:-) There was a family I was told of, from "Australia" (don't ask).
ReplyDeleteThey told their kids to come home "when it´'s getting dark", in German summer, too. LOL!
Yes, I remember. Park the car, prepare something to eat, BOOM. night. The only thing I do not like about Australia....
I loooove the long summer nights in Germany (well, this year it's freezing cold).
Sad you cannot enjoy the "perfume". I don't dare to buy those cnadles as we have real wood all over.
This was a beautiful post (even to one who is afraid of fire and has a retired firefighter at her side).
I found the evenings unbelievably long when we visited Scotland one summer.
DeleteIt is lovely to sit by a fire. When we were in Queensland last winter we had a slow combustion fire burning all night in the farmhouse. It kept the house nice and cosy. Our house in the Blue Mountains is very cold at night, even though we have an electric oil heater on in the bedroom all night.
ReplyDeleteWe invested in a reverse cycle air conditioner for the bedroom of our Kandos home. It is west facing so was very hot in summer but turns out the heating is wonderful too. I warm up the room before going to bed, turn it off to sleep then flick it back on while I snuggle down until the room is warm in the morning.
DeleteWhat a gorgeous silhouette Joan Elizabeth. There is also the photographer's favourite 'blue hour' just before the sun goes down. That fire looks so cosy, I'm sitting here right now with the gas fire on, not nearly so romantic 😉
ReplyDeleteOh yes. I forgot to include the photography terms for this lovely time of day.
DeleteThat is a lovely photo I must say. I never realised that night fell quickly here in Queensland 😀 I should take more notice. LOL!
ReplyDeleteI guess you don't really notice things like that until you experience what things are like elsewhere.
DeleteWood fires seem to have a perfect warmth.
ReplyDeleteThe light and the silhouette of the tree are perfect. What beautiful colors! I love that time of day.
Yeh no other form of heating, however efficient, seems quite as cosy.
DeleteLife sounds good for you even in these trying times. Interesting word collection. In photography we use "the Golden Hour" and 'Twilight". The golden hour is before the sun sets and twilight is after the sun has gone.
ReplyDeleteYes life is good. I hadn't thought of including the terms for this magical time of day for photography - how remiss of me.
DeleteI love your memories of these words. Eventide always sounded a lovely place at Sandgate. Perect position beside the sea. In hindsight, it may have been quite basic. I love your twilight view.
ReplyDeleteYes I remember the Eventide Home as being quite basic, old wartime buildings I think, but it looked nice.
DeleteA lovely post of your memories. I have appreciated sunsets much more when camping and have some lovely memories of them. When our children were young I think I was too busy to ever see a sunset. Campfires and sunsets go together for me.
ReplyDeleteI have also seen some marvellous sunsets while camping. I will always remember one I saw at Winton.
DeleteI do like the glowing sunsets of winter and snuggling inside.
ReplyDeleteFor me, the beauty of winter sunsets is that they happen so early in the day, before settling in for the night's activities so I don't miss them.
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