The Light Returns

You know how dark it is in the winter in Northern Minnesota in January. Dark in the mornings when we are leaving for our work day, and dark when we are driving home. Thank goodness, since December 21st our days are getting longer, rather than shorter on daylight time, but this early in January, it's not as noticeable as it will be a month from now.

I don't like my drive home from work for this reason, and for a long time I have noticed that sometimes there are street lights that are not lit up anymore, not to mention that a few years ago they replaced all our street lights with dimmer lights that save energy. Anyhow, coming home last night, coming up Woodland Ave. by Hartley field, it seemed extra dark and turning down Anoka, I thought it seemed like not all the street lights were on. Now, for those readers that don't know it, our city of Duluth is in dire financial shape, and my first thought was that they have turned off some of our street lights. Yep, I thought, the one by Kolstad and Anoka is off, and the next intersection the street light is off also. I was so busy looking at the street lights, and complaining to myself that "the city is making our neighborhood dark at night" and like we are out in the country driving, that I really never noticed that there didn't seem to be lights on in houses either! Until, I turned onto our street, and THEN I noticed, oh my gosh, there are no lights on at any of our houses on our street. Here I was blasting our city, when actually the electricity was out in all of our neighorhood! I especially realized it when I reached our house, that was dark, but always has lights on because I am the last one home(including our dusk to dawn yard light). I came inside and my husband and son had just about every candle in our downstairs lighted! The electricity went out about 45 minutes before I arrived home. About 15 minutes after I was home, the lights came back on! Good thing, we can get by without light in the house, but most peoples furnaces (like ours) runs on electricity, and we don't want to be without heat!

So, tonight as I was driving home, I looked again at the street lights, and those that were dark last night, were indeed, lit up tonight. It didn't seem as dark. The lights were back....thank goodness! (But, those street light bulbs, really don't give the light that the former bulbs that were used did!).

I'm glad too, to know that our days are getting longer - so our light IS returning!

P.S. Have my fellow Duluthians noticed the beautiful sunrises we have been having on these cold mornings? Especially over the lake, but even up in our neighborhood! Really beautiful sunrises!