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Gloom and Doom

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Heart of the Shawnee Nation
My area is among the gloomiest places in the US. The rankings are based on the percentage of cloud cover, average hours of daylight, and total number of rainy days. I've always felt this was true, and now my feelings are confirmed. Too old to move again. SAD is a real phenomenon, I'm just wondering how others handle the gray, cold winters and rainy, muddy springs. When I lived out west, even the severe cold wasn't that bad because it was mostly sunny. I wish I liked alcohol more and didn't fall asleep after one drink.
 
I have a friend who suffered from SAD. She bought a light lamp and swore it made a tremendous difference. They also eliminated all the window curtains from their urban cottage, and went so far as to replace their tiny kitchen windows with much larger ones. She makes a concerted effort to get out and about whenever she can. She's looking much better these days, I must ask her about the SAD next time I see her.
 
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yep, getting out during day light even when overcast it is crucial, up here at this time of year it is tough, over 23 years up here it's been only the last 2-3 years that I've been affected by it. and this year is even worst cause we didn't have good snow for skiing until about now.

The lamps do work and also vitamin D helps too!!

But the most important is to get out the door and be active when ever it possible!
 
i live in the sushine state and every time I go to the beach and see all the young and tanned hotties in bikini's I get severely depressed. Clouds don't seem to matter...
 
Check out the original lyrics to the MASH television show. Lots of folks up in Alaska cope with SADS this way in the month of February.
 
E=Black_Fly;n101661]My area is among the gloomiest places in the US. The rankings are based on the percentage of cloud cover, average hours of daylight, and total number of rainy days. I've always felt this was true, and now my feelings are confirmed. Too old to move again. SAD is a real phenomenon, I'm just wondering how others handle the gray, cold winters and rainy, muddy springs. When I lived out west, even the severe cold wasn't that bad because it was mostly sunny. I wish I liked alcohol more and didn't fall asleep after one drink.[/QUOTE]
I don't even want to know how our area ranks for gloominess. When we moved here we were told that we'd never see the sun in January. Turns out that's an exaggeration. I used to hate this time of year when I was working because it would often be dark on my way it and also on my way back but now I can get out during the daylight...and soon the days will start getting longer.

I like going to our local YMCA. The retired folks are always in such a great mood. Today I swam alongside a 97 year old woman named Mary Beth and she has a great sense of humor. I also have more discipline around a modest exercise routine during colder weather and that makes me feel good.

Maybe you could go for some good hikes with that awesome dog of yours. I think it's always rewarding to get out into nature. I took this pic last night in a small local park where I walked my pooch.

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Can I make one more suggestion? I don't really know if this has any connection to mood disorder but certainly has ramifications for optimal mental health. It is to take the extra time to fully appreciate your pet. Spend some quality time, even a few stolen moments between doing this and doing that, going here and going there. Just a few minutes can make all the difference for the both of you on any given day.
A couple Saturdays ago we had to put down a family pet, and it was extremely hard to do. The dear old girl was in her final decline so we felt it was merciful but nevertheless emotionally painful. I grew up without pets and didn't experience this relationship until pets came into our married/family lives. It's been an awakening I never knew possible. But the final parting has been full of grief. I know the emotional emptiness I feel right now is indicative of how full my life has been with our dear companion. She was loved, she'll be missed, and will always be remembered. Remember them in the here and now. Let them brighten your days.
 
This true for many other things, Living the moment, mind fulness, a practice I do every day. sometime for up to 20 minutes and other time only a few breath! Taking the time to appreciate something, stoping everything to notice your environment, a bird, a cloud, a shadow..... Something we tend to do on trips, but not in the every day life, people are too busy, the pace is too high, they just don't take the time. taking the time to take time, slowing down, is one of the most important thing I found out a few years back. I look at all the people around me that don't ant to miss anything, want to do everything... Racing for nothing....
Take the time!!
Odyssey, sorry for your lost, we had to put our 16 years old lab down this summer and it wasn't easy!
 
Thanks guys. Me and the dogs get out most days. Not many places to hike off leash, but we do alright, weather permitting. Being stuck inside with unwalked heelers is no picnic in itself.

I'm looking forward to a volunteer gig this spring at the state park. Might teach canoe camping to pilgrims and lead some hikes.
 
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My wife suffers from SAD so when she said she needed a 'She Shed' on the south end of the barn I thought 'More lost space', then she said if I built it I'd never see her again and the project went straight to the top of my to-do list.:cool:
 
Black Fly - As the saying goes...I feel your pain. We live in central NY and years ago I was told we reside in what's called the "Black Triangle;" an area that runs from Binghamton up to Albany before heading west along the NYS Thurway to Syracuse and then back down I-81 to Binghamton. All in all, we're supposed to receive more precipitation than Seattle, WA and after living here for almost 50 years I definitely believe it. We're effected by the lake effect storms that come off of Lake Ontario but not nearly as badly as the Tug Hill plateau. All in all, we get more dark and gloomy days than sunshine. The benefit, to me at least, is the amount of snow we receive. For that reason during this time of year I try to get out for some xc skiing and/or snowshoeing whenever I can. I'll even go out on a starry night because the experience is so relaxing. Being outside, listening to the owls and checking out the constellations, is a great way to feel better about your place in the world.

Odyssey - I'm sorry for your loss. My dog accompanies me pretty much wherever I go; even to work as she's a favorite of the kids who live in the college dorm I work in. Taking time to be with her is important for both of us. There's nothing so satisfying as having her asleep by my feet here in the office during the day. While I can't let her off leash all that often, when I do, we have a great time romping through the woods around our home or paddling a local river. Juneau, her name, is our fifth canine companion and it never gets easier when they leave you but having the memories of them is certainly worth the pain in the long run.

One last thing...Canotrouge mentioned mindfulness in his post and I'd like to second that sentiment. Each morning when the dog and I are out, I spend a few moments greeting the new day, thanking the Creator for another opportunity to try and get it right. Somedays the thoughts run longer and deeper while others are a simple recognition that I've been blessed with another day on this planet. Regardless of how you incorporate this in your day, I do feel it helps to set a positive mood each morning.

That's all for now. As we head into the darker months, all I can say is take care and until next time...be well.

snapper
 
Sunrise here this morning is at 8:41. I am currently sitting by the fire, with Shadow, the rescue Siberian husky, curled up beside me. I will get dressed in a few minutes, and we will head down to the frozen lake to walk east into the rising sun. Crisp, at -10 C (+14 F). Not to sound Pollyannic, but no doom. No gloom. Just another glorious morning.
 
This is going to sound shallow and trite but I am being earnestly sincere, and that is to say we all need to find our happy place(s). Seriously, a "happy place" is nothing more, nothing less than an attitude adjustment; think of it as an emotional calming wherein we find a center, stability and peace. It may involve an activity and/or mindful reflection. A solo canoe round a quiet pond? Walking the dogs through the back 40? Tackling that bit of boring DIY? I have many avenues towards finding my own happy places, but one of them I'll share; it is through enjoying a daily dose of nature writing. Try some, it might work for you. This is my favourite morning read. It helps to ground me for the day and puts me in touch with where I want to be. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/series/country-diary
 
Snapper... I am much further into the Lake Effect machine than you. My parents grew up in the heart of Tug Hill and I grew up nearby, and still live not far from my boyhood home deep in LE snow country. When I worked and flew out of the AF base in Rome, we would call the area "the gray dome", for the nearly constant gloom of weather in the Mohawk Valley. I still get out and enjoy the heavy snowfalls, human powered methods only, thank you. I still have my dad's old hunting camp in Montague Tug Hill and often judge the winter by the number of times during the season I have to XC ski 1.75 miles in to shovel as much as 4 feet of snow off the roof to prevent collapse. But those rare clear crisp days in the woods are wonderful.
 
Sunrise here this morning is at 8:41. I am currently sitting by the fire, with Shadow, the rescue Siberian husky, curled up beside me. I will get dressed in a few minutes, and we will head down to the frozen lake to walk east into the rising sun. Crisp, at -10 C (+14 F). Not to sound Pollyannic, but no doom. No gloom. Just another glorious morning.

Here today, sunrise 09:49, temps -18c, sunset 15:51, we have almost no snow on the ground around town so it makes it even worst in the greyness department, Snow up here in the fall seems to lighten up the landscape and make for a brighter environment on those short winter days!!

I really like this thread and discussion, since I built my shop, my happy place is in there, but even now it is harder and less happy if I can say so. Life as got a lot of pressure on us, performance, social media, money, health, ethic , environment etc.... We are confronted to these things daily and it can be frustrating and hard to see that some people don't give a dang or don't agree with our vision!!

I got called in to work this afternoon, that will be good and a bit of a change.... Packing drywall sheets, so no real thinking, just moving....

Have a great day you all!!
 
I change up my work schedule in Dec and do outside stuff several days a week in the mornings, 8-10ish, then I go to work. I have to plan stuff to keep myself busy. I also get 10hrs of sleep each night through the winter! So I recommend morning activity, work, Netflix and sleep.
 
THREE Cheers for Retirement as a cure for Many Ailments!!!!!!!!!

Maybe I shouldn’t admit this. It makes me sound like a lazy s.o.b. But I wanted to retire before I ever began working. When I was 13 or 14, adults kept pestering me about what I wanted to be when I grew up. I knew I couldn’t say, “nothing,” so I always said, “electrical engineer.” I didn’t actually know what an electrical engineer did, but it sounded good to me, and it satisfied the adults.

I never became an electrical engineer, but I did eventually become something. There was no other choice. I took a two-year buyout when I was 55, and have been happy ever since. Just like when I was 13. If the truth be known, I would have accepted a two-year buyout on the very first day I showed up for work.

I’m with you, sweeper!!!!!!!!!
 
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