WHAT TIME IS IT?

Here we are again – returning to standard time and messing with our inner clocks. No use to discuss options because there are none. This day (and the next week and the ensuing months until we return to daylight savings) are difficult. These are dark times – literally. As the days grow shorter, natural light disappears all too soon, and that decreases what I can accomplish in an afternoon. I work best in natural light.

So, what did you do with the extra hour? I worked on my doll clothes project in the company of tv (and the doll) and stayed up until the clock said midnight pdt. In the end I was bleary-eyed and miserable. I fell asleep immediately my head hit the pillow and was wide awake at 6:00 a.m., which is now 5:00. I’ve changed several clocks, but to avoid confusion, I just double check the time on our little weather station.

Last year we coped with the early darkness by going to a late afternoon matinee, but this year Mike isn’t available for that. He left Thursday for the Boise area to hunt with a friend. The weather turned colder, and as we generally expect with Mike’s adventures, he has had untoward experience(s). The plan was that he would hunt alone yesterday because his friend Doug was unable to go, but they had arranged that Mike would check in with Doug upon his return to the motel. Doug called me about 5:00 p.m. as daylight was waning to say he was worried because he hadn’t heard from Mike. I wanted to say, “Are you kidding me?! I don’t even indulge a concern until it’s been dark for an hour.”

“I’ll call you back as soon as I hear anything,” said Doug.

“Okay,” I said.

Mike called half an hour later. “I thought I’d better call you since Doug said he told you he was worried.”

“Uh-huh.”

“He said you didn’t sound very worried, though,” Mike went on.

“No, I wasn’t,” I replied. “I knew you had hunted late and were on your way back.” And Mike confirmed that I was right.

So, Mike has already been in touch. I figure he’ll be home before 5:00. Let’s see – 5:00 is the old 6:00, right? So he'll be here about supper time. I can indulge a little more hobby time, then I’ll fix lasagna. Why lasagna? Because I have ingredients at the point of expiration that I didn’t use during Elderberry Fest. But I'm vacillating on dessert -- pumpkin bread, banana bread, pumpkin pie. Maybe I'll choose two -- banana bread and pumpkin pie. Mike loves to munch on banana bread, but we'll have the pumpkin pie for dessert. KW

[Photo 1: The modular home in Clarkston. I'd like to have a fancier front door -- one with an oval glass. Do you think it would be out of place?

Photos 2 & 3: The Clarkston heights looking toward the Lewiston Hill.

Photo 4: The Lewis-Clark Vally from Appleside. I think the view of the valley from Appleside is beautiful, but it's tough to get a good picture because of the road, the traffic, the guardrail, the commercial district, etc.]