farmdoc's blog post number 172

At exactly 2 a.m. last Sunday, the Australian ritual that started in 1916 recurred – daylight saving time began. In Australia all States and Territories except Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia moved an hour forward (WA will move on the last October Sunday, and Queensland and the NT not at all). Because I’m a list-man, I’ve compiled a checklist of five clocks/watches and seven appliances whose time advanced by an hour. Two did it automatically; I had to consult the instruction books for three of them. (The capacity of microchips to create programming permutations exceeds the capacity of the human brain – well, mine at least – to absorb and remember those permutations. But that’s another story.) As someone living at quite a low latitude (41½° South) I love daylight saving. Even on daylight saving time it’s light when I wake up – first light is at 6:07 a.m. and sunrise at 6:35 a.m. And it gets dark later – sunset is at 7:30 p.m. and last light at 7:58 p.m. So now I have plenty of evening daylight to do my farm chores, even on days when I work in Deloraine; and to cook dinners on the outdoor BBQ. So life on the farm is less rushed than in the dark winter months. I have time to savour and enjoy the outdoors. Oh what bliss.