I Miss North Dakota (In June)

Those Long Long days. Being out doing things till 10:30 at night. I miss that about North Dakota. Here’s a very cool website that lets you find the sunset and civil dusk (that’s the time at which you have to stop doing anything in natural light) for any city in the USA.

Here in St. Charles IL it’s not light till 4:45am. I’ve never been up to check but the website tells me it’s true. What is more discouraging is that it’s pitch dark by 9pm. Days end pretty early in Illinois.

Growing up in ND it was not unusual to sit out and enjoy the evening till well after 10pm. In Minot the sun goes DOWN at 9:50pm but it’s dusky light such that you could work or play ball till 10:30pm. Yes, mornings come 15 minutes later, but those long dusky evenings. I miss that. A bit has to do with placement in the time zone but most has to do with North and South.

I grew up in Ellendale, 4 miles from the South Dakota border. Dusk expires (dark) at 10:03, A full hour later than Illinois. Look at the distance and time differential from a town due north on the Canadian border. Hannah North Dakota Dusk is 10:25PM. No east or west influence there. Just North South.

This time of year life is sweet in ND (except for Mosquitoes), Northern Lights, staggering beautiful sunsets and late late dusk.

Intoxicating.

Less intoxicating in January.