Photography supervisor
Until 2019, I hadn’t paid much attention to the light at the autumn solstice. The reason for this was we had big maple and catalpa trees on the east side of the house and they blocked the sun from entering the east windows.
But in 2019 those trees had to come down for the addition build on the east side of the existing house. And for the first time, that September I saw the sun come in the east windows and travel through the house and go out the west windows.
This had happened each spring in March because the leaves weren’t on the trees yet. And I did look forward to it, but somehow this new solstice light seems better.
It’s been pretty cool these last few years to see this in September.
This house is set up to be passive solar heated. It’s set up to be precisely east-west, facing due south.
The big east awning window in the dining room is where the light comes in. Before the addition, that window was in the wall opening next to the bookcase. That’s where the house ended before the addition. And the wall on the right (for the new bathroom) didn’t exist because this room was the old kitchen, open plan.
The new living room is south off the dining room and also has east-west windows that sun comes in the east and goes out the west at solstices. But that’s only a 20’ span, not like the 74’ span from the dining room window to the west office windows.
I had finished getting photos and the sun had moved around as it got higher. So it no longer went all the way down the hallway.
I was closely supervised during photo taking, to make sure I got good shots.
In the evening the sun comes in the west windows and heads down the hall. But it’s not as bright, so not as interesting.
I’m not sure why the solstices were something I looked forward to. They are a transition time, much like the starting of school was as a child. Even though it’s early in the fall when it happens, it’s a sort of signal to me to start wrapping up the gardens and begin preparing them for winter.
I know lots of gardeners are on their second crops but that takes more energy than I have. I try to raise enough during the main season so I don’t need a second crop.
I’m ready to start winding down from all the work, having a cup of tea on the cold mornings, and start looking forward to the celebrations of autumn and winter.