What Time It Is

Does anybody really know? With apologies to the rock band Chicago, this week's Hood River Weather poll wonders if anybody really cares, or more specifically, what time switch strategy would you prefer?

It's somewhat mind boggling that the government can force us to set our alarm clocks so as to get us up an hour earlier 8 months out of the year. But not nearly as mind boggling as the concept and perception of time itself.

I like the extension of the daylight hours into the evening with Daylight Saving Time. But, then again, it's nice to have daylight in the early morning (especially in the winter), since my job and my exercise routine get me up at 5 am. My I-84 commute to The Dalles in the dark often brings hallucinations of possible deer or rockfall dead ahead, just out of the range of my headlights. Which, at highway speeds, is not very far ahead.

So, my ideal time switch would be DST from March through October, and then a 2 hour fall-back in winter for more daylight in the morning. But, they aren't asking me, and most likely they won't.

DST reduces national energy consumption by about 1% due to reduced need for electric lighting in the evenings. Or....does it?

Maybe the best plan would be to sleep more hours in the winter (and work fewer hours). Sort of a modified hibernation. Monthly pay, of course, would have to stay the same. I'll run that by my employer and see if it flies...