This drop will be named the Bench Drop. In the official selections alone, there are three photos with prominent benches. Another can be found in the outtakes, including a swing to take a seat on.
My love for benches goes back, way back. My senior year at Baraga High School I pitched my teachers on doing an independent study to write. Each day I’d pick a different subject. The essay that has always stuck with me was the one titled “Benches.”
I’m a terrible hiker, because I’m on the mission to find a good seat, to slow down, to enjoy the view. I’ve long wanted to campaign for more benches, in town, in parks, in random locations. They offer a place of rest, and more importantly, reflection. A place to slow down and be with your being, wherever that is at that time. It’s hard to pass up a good bench, especially with a sunrise view.
Finally, a March release with some sunshine. Oh yeah, I also sat down last week determined to publish Leap Day. I’d have to continue into 2024 to catch another Leap Day sunrise.
A not entirely arbitrary score of this drop: 7.8/10
P.S. Not long after publishing this post, I was notified about an Intagram “memory”. Fittingly, it was one year ago today, of me, sitting on a bench. Notice the complete absense of snow.
- Date:
- January 26, 2020
- Sunrise:
- 8:25 a.m.
- Location:
- Head of the Bay
- Temperature:
- 30 ºF
- Felt like:
- 29 ºF
- Sunrise:
- 391 of 365
- Was the
sun visible: - Notta

- Date:
- February 2, 2020
- Sunrise:
- 8:12 a.m.
- Location:
- Clark Lambros Park
- Temperature:
- 30 ºF
- Felt like:
- 22 ºF
- Sunrise:
- 398 of 365
- Was the
sun visible: - Nope

- Date:
- March 27, 2020
- Sunrise:
- 7:37 a.m.
- Location:
- Bum's Beach
- Temperature:
- 27 ºF
- Felt like:
- 22 ºF
- Sunrise:
- 452 of 365
- Was the
sun visible: - Sure was

- Date:
- April 18, 2020
- Sunrise:
- 6:56 a.m.
- Location:
- Shiras Park
- Temperature:
- 32 ºF
- Felt like:
- 23 ºF
- Sunrise:
- 474 of 365
- Was the
sun visible: - Briefly

- Date:
- May 18, 2020
- Sunrise:
- 6:11 a.m.
- Location:
- Shiras Park
- Temperature:
- 43 ºF
- Felt like:
- 42 ºF
- Sunrise:
- 504 of 365
- Was the
sun visible: - Actually, no

- Date:
- June 29, 2020
- Sunrise:
- 5:59 a.m.
- Location:
- McCarty's Playground
- Temperature:
- 61 ºF
- Felt like:
- 61 ºF
- Sunrise:
- 546 of 365
- Was the
sun visible: - Uh huh

- Date:
- July 31, 2020
- Sunrise:
- 6:29 a.m.
- Location:
- South Beach
- Temperature:
- 62 ºF
- Felt like:
- 62 ºF
- Sunrise:
- 578 of 365
- Was the
sun visible: - Oui, oui

- Date:
- August 19, 2020
- Sunrise:
- 6:53 a.m.
- Location:
- McCarty's Cove
- Temperature:
- 60 ºF
- Felt like:
- 60 ºF
- Sunrise:
- 597 of 365
- Was the
sun visible: - Briefly

- Date:
- September 12, 2020
- Sunrise:
- 7:24 a.m.
- Location:
- McCarty's Cove
- Temperature:
- 55 ºF
- Felt like:
- 55 ºF
- Sunrise:
- 621 of 365
- Was the
sun visible: - No

- Date:
- October 22, 2020
- Sunrise:
- 8:17 a.m.
- Location:
- Shiras Park
- Temperature:
- 37 ºF
- Felt like:
- 33 ºF
- Sunrise:
- 661 of 365
- Was the
sun visible: - It was not

- Date:
- November 16, 2020
- Sunrise:
- 7:53 a.m.
- Location:
- LS&I Dock
- Temperature:
- 30 ºF
- Felt like:
- 17 ºF
- Sunrise:
- 686 of 365
- Was the
sun visible: - Nah

- Date:
- December 15, 2020
- Sunrise:
- 8:27 a.m.
- Location:
- Shiras Park
- Temperature:
- 14 ºF
- Felt like:
- 4 ºF
- Sunrise:
- 715 of 365
- Was the
sun visible: - Nope
