LEARN MORE

Sunday, November 6, 2011

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.]

9 comments:

  1. My extra hour was spent sleeping! I'll be very unhappy (as I am each year) about the early darkness this evening, though. Do you ever think about our ancestors (before DST) who lived year round with the world naturally, accepting daylight and darkness when it came.

    Long ago, many a wife worried for hours or even days about a husband on a hunting trip. There were no cell phones (maybe no phones) or GPS. Mike is going to tell me that they used the stars to navigate. But we live with what we have today and are darn glad we have all the technology, right?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I do think about the farm folk who lived by the daylight. I have romantic ideas about reading next to the flicker of a candle or oil lamp and listening to the radio or just enjoying conversation. We're too distracted by all this technology! (but I love it so)

    ReplyDelete
  3. P.S. Many chores with my extra hour!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yes, the technology we live with is our "normal." It makes out lives better by giving us faster communication with friends & family. The GPS...it brings Mike home quicker!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dan and I decided we spent the extra hour changing all the clocks in the house! And we're finding more today!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I actually had a little experience staying at the farmhouse without water and electricity. I remember Mother bustling around to finish household chores before she lost daylight.

    Clocks -- We have five in this little house plus the "automatics" -- the weather station, the computers, the tv set. I wonder if the actual time was so important to our ancestors.

    It is hard to turn away from the technology. I'll tell you what else -- it's tough to read or perform any activity by candlelight or oil lamp.

    Funny about the GPS. I think originally Mike wanted one to mark where he left the pick-up when he hunts. I don't think he's directionally challenged, but anyone can get mixed up.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Phooey, phooey, phooey on DLST - I am so tired of changing clocks & having my inner clock upset. We still have to do the things we always do - it matters not at which hour we do them, it just messes with our brain & our bodies. I wish they would just leave it alone!

    ReplyDelete
  8. btw, great panorama photo with a wonderful view. Good job.

    ReplyDelete