at evendim comes a time - part two

[Lúthien]

Three years ago I made a little video about a walk that I regulary make here at night. I always prefer the evendim, because that's my time of day. It's generally quiet outside, people are watching TV etc..
Also, it seems to be the time that I feel closest to the imaginal world. It is almost as if the borders are fading then.

I made another evening walk video this week, using different music than the first one. This is on a piano piece by Maurice Ravel called "Jeux d' eau" ("play of the water") performed by Georges Cziffra.
I thought it appropriate because most images are of light reflecting on the rippling water.

I changed the little 4-line Sindarin tribute accordingly:

ne aduial tôl lû
ir tirich 'alad îl minui
thilia or nen deliren
i menel thinna, elei vilui telir aen

In evendim comes a time
when you see the reflection of a first star
shimmering on the playful water
the sky fades, may sweet dreams come

[Meneldur Olvarion]

Very nice!

I did want to ask about something I observed in your video, though: it seems that your city planners have taken some care to make your street lights more efficient as there is far less air-glow than I am used to seeing in urban areas. Most of the light seems to be directed downwards (as it should be).

Also, there doesn't seem to be too many of those Jacassian absolutely repulsive low-pressure sodium ionized vapor lights. You know, the ones that make the pukish orange-glow, with the harsh black shadows that really illuminate nothing.

Do you know if some of the whitish lights are LED clusters? I had read that the more advanced parts of Europe would be switching to those, but I don't know when that is supposed to happen.

Anyway, I just wanted to give both you and whoever the city planner team was 'props' for their respecive fine works.

[Ellenar]

I agree. Your video captures the magic and mystery of the "tween time" so eloquently. It reminds me of how important the hour of twilight was for me and my brother. Thank you for sharing this.

[Lúthien]

Hi,
there is still a substantial amount of light pollution though, but I can't say how it compares to where you live, because I don't know how that is.
Our largest light polluters are the nearby highway and the local greenhouse farmers (growing bell peppers, they use sodium lights as well).

There are low pressure sodium lights, but they are used mainly on highways. I even once read that they are sometimes preferred, because of that monochromatic light - it seems to be less straining on the eyes if you are driving.
However, I agree with you that it looks awful. Because it's monochromatic (only the very thin sodium spectral line) it drains all the colour from everything.

I have seen some experimental streetlights using LED's, but I don't think that's what in the video. Those are probably mercury lights, and the orangy ones are high-pressure sodium lights, that give a broader spectrum and therefore a less "cold" effect.

Anyway, I just wanted to give both you and whoever the city planner team was 'props' for their respecive fine works.

Thanks
It's a nice neighbourhood to walk through .. it's called the "professor quarter" because the streets are named after famous professors at the university here, like Lorentz, Buys Ballot, Lorentz or Kamerlingh Onnes. It's a very quiet middle class residential area from the 1930's .. somehow all the residential areas from that decade of severe economic crisis are beautiful. The houses are well built.



@ Ellenar - thank you! I am glad that it reminded you of things that you shared with your brother.

[Meneldur Olvarion]

[...] There are low pressure sodium lights, but they are used mainly on highways. I even once read that they are sometimes preferred, because of that monochromatic light - it seems to be less straining on the eyes if you are driving.

Not for me. For me, the effect is much more like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUvzzEtNevY

However, I agree with you that it looks awful. Because it's monochromatic (only the very thin sodium spectral line) it drains all the colour from everything.

Yes, exactly. And if you are neuro-diverse and process colors differently anyway....well, let's just say they aren't a good choice.

[Calantirniel]

Dave - I absolutely HATE those lights too! In fact I think they are deliberately disorienting, but that is an entirely different topic and I won't get started!

[Eruannlass]

I have one of those amber monstrosities shining in my bedroom window all night, and I can no longer see the moonlight shining through. I really miss it, and this is about the only thing I miss from being in my old apartment, which was on the opposite side of the building, and had many great nights of moonlight. I would lay in bed and hold my hands out in the beam to see them all silvery before going to sleep. I've entertained notions about a well~aimed slingshot and it's ability to solve my problem, but it's one of the apartment's security lamps, so the bulb eventually get replaced.

The solution is that I'm going to be painting my bedroom (ceiling included) a shade of blue like what you see in this video, and the darker color will hopefully absorb more of this intrusive light that often hinders sleep. Right now, the current white walls make me feel like I'm trying to sleep in an icky amber box. The blue is just the beginning; Rowan and I will be painting in trees, and a sunset in the western corner behind the altar. I have a large spiral galaxy cutout that i painted to glow in the dark, and this stuff called 'ceiling glitter.' When this room is complete, it should be a lot more conducive to relaxation and sleep. The ceiling glitter is clear for a subtle shimmer, and a more prominent silver. I'm hoping for a 'countless array of stars' effect.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog? ... CGoQ8wIwAg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Eruannlass

[Niennildi Oarnen]

While we have drifted quite far from Luthien's lovely video, I am sorry to hear of your security light issue, Eruanlass. I dealt with that back in Ohio, not just the apartment security light, but a parking lot of a pharmacy right behind too. Your painting project sounds lovely, but heavy room-darkening curtains will eliminate the amber glow and improve your sleep.

[Eruannlass]

I did think of the curtain idea, but they cannot be easily installed above and around the mini blinds; I've never really been much for heavy curtains, either. It is a very practical suggestion, but I usually keep the window open at night, and like to feel the flow of the air from outside at night. If there were a way to have both the darkness from the curtains and the lovely feeling of the night air at the same time, I would have hung a pair of them almost immediately. The 'window level' air is not very strong here, so it wouldn't lift the curtains up enough to be felt.

Eruannlass

[Lúthien]

@Eruannlass - can't you ask the building manager to put a more friendly coloured bulb in it?
I also remember that there exist special "nebula" filters for amateur astronomy that filter out the specific colours of - among others - these sodium lights, to improve the visibility of faint objects like nebulae and galaxies. They seem to work quite well - and maybe there exists bluish tinted foil that could filter out sodium light, that you might stick on your window. I have no idea, it's just a brainwave.

@Dineen - thank you