With the nights staying brighter for longer and a whiff of summer in the air, RÓISÍN INGLElooks at 10 ways to make the most of that extra hour of light
1 PARK IT
The opening hours of parks around the country have been extended, with most of them keeping the gates open until around 6pm. This means there should just about be time after work to go on an old-fashioned nature walk, kicking through freshly mown grass and feasting your eyes on those carpets of crocuses and snowdrops.
2 RIDE ON
If you haven’t tried Dublin bikes yet, and you live in the capital, rectify that disgraceful situation immediately. A bonus at this time of year is that you don’t need to be lit up like a Christmas tree to feel safe on the roads.
3 THE SEA, THE SEA!
It’s stunning these days with, if you pick a good day, the late-evening sun bouncing off the ripples. Hardy folk should invest in a wetsuit and sign up for a water-based evening course – the Try Sea Kayaking course in Bulloch Harbour, Co Dublin, comes highly recommended. If that sounds too strenuous, enjoy a seaside view accompanied by fish and chips on the pier, followed by a walk to shake off the vinegar pong and work off the calories.
4 GROW YOUR OWN
Onions. Lettuce. Potatoes. Most vegetables can be sown now and these bright, breezy evenings make perfect gardening conditions. If you are a novice or your garden is the size of a postage stamp, visit gardening.ie for horticultural hand-holding.
5 SPRING CLEANING
With all that extra evening light pouring through them, it’s hard not to notice the grimy windows. Clean them until they shine, hire a mini-skip and clear out the shed, tackle the junk in the problem areas of your home – hello, broken juicer languishing under the stairs – sit back and feel extremely pleased with yourself.
6 QUALITY TIME
Frazzled parents should use the longer evenings to get rid of the chisellers, er, to encourage the offspring outdoors for some vigorous street play before bedtime. While they are harassing the neighbours by kicking footballs at their windows and playing “knick-knack”, you can pop open a bottle, have a decent uninterrupted conversation and . . .
7 . . . FIRE UP THE GRILL
Why wait any longer to hold the first barbecue of 2010? Alfresco eating in the rain and salmonella poisoning are not just for midsummer, you know.
8 RUN FOR YOUR LIFE
Exercise is more enjoyable when you can actually see where you are going, so sign up for a summer charity event – the Flora Women’s Mini Marathon, or the 32-county marathon challenge for autism – and spend the bright evenings training.
9 FLY A KITE
Go roller skating, or maybe skateboarding (left). Purloin your niece’s hula hoop. These are the evenings that make you want to channel your inner kid, so buy a swingball set to plant in the lawn.
10 BIN THE TV
Or at least spend less time watching it. And reduce the hours spent staring at a computer screen while you’re at it. If you can’t shake your internet addiction, at least drop by the “There’s A Grand Stretch in the Evenings” Facebook group to share your excitement about the lighter, brighter days.
