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Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The Quiet In Betweens

There are quite a few folks out there
who don't like the days growing shorter or
being on Standard time.
I'm not one of those folks :-)

I love this time of year.  
I love being on Standard Time.
In the "war" against time change,
the only two options proposed were
Daylight Savings Time or continue switching back and forth.
Heeey! Hold on just a minute there.
What about the real time?
(Squawky - see below)
I would be curious to know how many of you are morning people???
Mr. LB and I wake up between 4:30-5 o:clock.
(My mom says that's an afternoon time.)
Yep, even on weekends.
We just do.
I do set an alarm clock weekdays, just in case.
But generally speaking, we are awake before it goes off.
Hubby requires far less sleep than I do (about 6 hrs.)
I like my 8 hours.
But we are morning folks.
We drink our coffee and are often off and running before the sun
raises its head from its mountainous pillow.
By evening, we are ready for supper and relaxation.
We are not entertainment oriented.
I'm not sure what to call us (that's a loaded statement, I know!)
But we are work oriented
or doing oriented
or living oriented.
We are not watching oriented.
I once wrote a piece that was called "The Watchers."
There are folks who seem to just watch life go by.
I think many children are being raised to be watchers
by parents who are watchers.
It seems they have to be entertained.
I'm not saying this to blame anybody.
I'm not even sure when it happened.
It's just sad when folks don't get to feel
the feeling of accomplishment or
the feeling of helping or
the feeling of giving or
providing, or growing, or 
well. . . . living.
Working with and raising critters of any sort is a lot of work.
There's usually physical as well as mental work involved.
They require feeding, tending, occasionally moving, etc.
And yes, it is work.
It's a commitment with a real consequence.
If you don't feed them, they will die.
That's pretty real.
But the rewards~
When that baby critter takes its first wobbly steps,
or you get to run the barrels in great time,
or you serve a home-raised meal.
What sort of price do you put on that?
Many folks see only the output of labor and discount the rewards.
Critters are just one example.
There are hundreds more.
I happen to love haying. 
Sounds crazy, I know.
Being out in the blazing heat to cut it,
then waking up at o:dark:thirty to rake and bale it
doesn't really sound like a barrel of monkeys kind of fun.
But. . . 
the smell of alfalfa in the morning dew,
and seeing the deer at the edge of the field
and hearing the quail begin to stir 
as the sun is just beginning to light the sky,
I think that is a treat in itself that you can't buy in a store.
Then there is the reward of having a healthy source of nutrition
for the critters come winter.
On winter days, when you are breaking off flakes to feed,
that sweet scent of summer lingers in the frosty air
and it's all worth it.
Who needs more entertainment than that?
We are old fashioned, what can I say.
During the longer evenings, we are finally able to find time for
that book that's been staring at us, or that stitching project,
or the research required to figure out a new endeavor.
These long evenings are a welcomed joy.

From what I hear, it might be the last winter
we have Standard time.

I will tell you one thing,
for the next 3-4 months,
I am going to revel in the morning light
and long evenings.
How 'bout you?

We call him Squawky and have watched him since spring.  
In early summer, he would walk out front and squawk and beat his wings
looking for hens.
Now we say he is serenading Hucklebunny.
We have been greatly entertained by him.




16 comments:

  1. I used to be a mix of doer and watcher. I grew up on a farm and was self-employed for several years, so you HAVE to scramble to eat. But I could also sit on a stump and watch two pissants fight. TV was never a big thing with me. Now that I'm old and crippled up, though, I DO like my computer.

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  2. I know you've done tons. I love hearing the stories you share. 😊

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  3. I love how your describe people as watchers and the doers. I think I am a doer really although at this time of year I prefer to do less and maybe become a bit of watcher too!

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    1. Oh I hear you! It's nice to slow down a bit after a busy summer.

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  4. I think we were given the "quiet in betweens" for our own good so we could rest and reboot for the coming spring. Sadly for us, this will be our last real time winter so we are savoring the hours between dark and bedtime. I have a few books lined up to pass those hours quietly with warm mugs and soft throws on my favorite end of the loveseat. We are in bed by 8:30 p.m. as Goodman has a cooked breakfast then leaves the house by 5:00 a.m. The alarm clock is set for 4 o'clock, but we're usually dressed by the time it goes off. I think we started out being morning people due to the have-to-for-his-job reason, but we like it that way now. I've always been a doer, but if watching my garden grow counts then I'm a watcher. It tears me up to see whole families of folks that watch a screen for entertainment.
    Love squeaky!
    Have a great week!

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    Replies
    1. Savor the hours between dark and bedtime - yes! I love those words.

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  5. I love the "quiet in betweens" and wish we could keep standard time year round. Early morning is definitely the best time of day.

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  6. Last Standard Time!!!!! Oh no, where did you hear this??? Say it isn't so! I prefer Standard Time because it is Sun Time. It is Nature's Time. It makes sense.

    Oh and on and on and one, I could go. But I'm sure you already know and agree, with all the reasons for living with Nature's Time.

    -sighhhhhhhh-

    ⛄🔥⛄🔥⛄

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    Replies
    1. In both OR and WA, it has been passed at state level and is just awaiting congressional approval (but how long that will take?) "They" are hoping that when we spring forward next spring, it will be the last time.

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  7. I love this title. The Quiet In Betweens... It is lovely and delightful and comforting. It is now.... This time of year...

    Thank you, for saying it, so perfectly...

    ⛄🔥⛄🔥⛄

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  8. "The Watchers" Yes. How can it not happen, with young people being all the time, having their eyes glued to a screen of some sort. Especially, the tiny phone screens they carry with them,at all times. And must keep checking. For fear of missing out. (FOMO)

    And gracious, a zillion adults are doing the same thing!

    Not doing. Watching.

    "The Pod People" are all around us!!!!!! Walking, sitting, driving, working... Checking their Smart Phones.

    Sighhhhh...

    ⛄🔥⛄🔥⛄

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  9. I am an early morning person for the most part. Since I no longer work I am not tied to a clock. The only time I watch time is when I have an appointment. I do still hate the switching of time. I can't figure out why they do it. Just leave time alone. Let it take care of itself. I love this time of year. No outdoor chores, lots of time to contemplate, read or do creative projects inside.
    I love that you have a pet pheasant. What fun to watch his shenanigans.

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  10. My grandma had two table clocks. One set for old time and one for new time. She'd ask for you to yell the time, and then say, "what's the old time". Our alarm goes off at 4:30 a.m. I get out of bed at 5 and make the husband some breakfast, get his lunch ready. Weekends, maybe 6 a.m. is a sleep in. I can adjust ok to the time change, but boy do the animals have a hard time. They know when they're hungry!

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