This picture was taken earlier in the year on a misty March evening. It could equally well have been a misty March morning. Visually, what's the difference? If you were woken up from a deep sleep lying in this field, dressed in only your pyjamas or a nightie, how could you tell, within a few seconds, if it's 06:00 or 18:00 (and no cheating by waiting to see if the sun's moving up or down)?The birds will be singing at either time (bless them) so what other pointers could there be? Some of my thoughts (and you're welcome to them):
It will probably be colder and damper in the morning.
If you're by the sea you might be able to tell by whether the wind is blowing on or off the land (no good in a storm).
If you have a hangover it's probably AM rather than PM but this isn't a reliable indicator (similar scenario if there's a strange woman/man by your side).
Are you carrying a compass? If you forgot to take your watch off before falling into this deep slumber and it's an analogue one, you're laughing. You'll need to be able to see the sun and remember which hand to point where.
Do you feel an overwhelming urge for a bowl of cereal followed by two fried eggs, bacon, mushrooms, sausages, hash browns and thick granary toast? Or a curry?
I was asked this question once at an interview for a TV lighting job. The answer they were looking for was 'It will be in the script'. Yes, folks, we lighting chaps don't have to worry ourselves about this intractable problem because one of the characters is going to poke his head round a door and say:
'Morning, George, who's the bird in the pyjamas? Boy, you look rough! Fancy some breakfast?'
Scriptwriting? It's a doddle.
5 comments:
I wish someone had given me a script the time I woke from a sound sleep in the middle of a field in March...
I never have felt an overwhelming urge for a curry but I think if I had to tell what time of day it was within seconds of awakening, I'd assume it was morning simply because I was still in jammies. :)
Yes, my lighting job interogation was designed around sound effects: the whine of an electric float followed by the clinking of milk bttles on the doorstep. Shows you how long ago that was!
I prefer a strange woman by my side to a normal one: they are so much more interesting.
I've woken up beside some strange men and women before (yes, the normal ones are so dull) but I can't say as I've ever woken up in the middle of field.
I think I'd like to try it though. If I was to make a list of things I'd like to do before I die, I think waking up not knowing what time it was in the middle of a field of flowers would be up there on the list.
Mind you, then there are all those bugs to consider, never mind you might get mowed over. Oh well, there's always a dark side - but imagine the butterflies and the clouds passing overhead and the smell of the grasses warming in the sun.
Sometimes when you first arrive at the shores of the ocean, it's hard to tell if the tide is moving in or out.
Once or twice, I've been completely fooled and woke up to find my toes getting wet.
Time confuses me, so does the movement of the sun. Unless it's sunrise or sunset, I can never say for sure which way is east or west. Unless I'm at the beach, then it's pretty clear.
Pauline, I think you need to spend more time here in the UK so as to acquire the fully fledged desire for a curry.
Peter - no comment
Bluesmama - those sensations you describe far outweigh the darker elements.
Josephine - I've been woken by the sensation of water on my toes but only when I camped on the side of a hill and woke up with only my head left inside the tent.
Post a Comment