Palmer is in Daylight Time

Yes, here we are, gaining 5 minutes a day and now we go into Daylight Savings mode. It all seems a bit foolish, doesn’t it? You know Daylight Savings was originally the brainchild of Ben Franklin because he rightfully wanted to use less candles. Over the years it has continued in the hopes of conservation and promotion of national security and defense. In 1966 it was heralded as the perfect solution to allowing more Halloween Trick or Treaters to collect candy in more daylight. All of this may make sense to somewhere else, but it surely doesn’t in Palmer Alaska.

Springing Forward—It all sounds so happy like little bunnies leaping forward in the flowers and green grass of Palmer. But it is somewhat of a fantasy. Instead of springing forward with pure happiness, we see more documentable accidents and workplace errors and avoidable injuries. Judges give harsher sentences supposedly in the wake of Daylight Savings Time. There is less generosity at stop-signs, public meetings have more of an edge, more migraines happen, chickens lay less eggs, bad investments increase and donations plummet. All of these negative things are really just a result of sleep deprivation and ones’ system being out of sync. It is similar to jet lag in this aspect.

Non-scientific Explanation—So from this past Sunday through November 2, we will live in this calculated aberration of sunlight. Fortunately our teenagers and children can slide slowly into the change because this week is Mat Su spring break. But the rest of us get to enjoy the unnatural adjustment and the resulting jerk on our moods and habits. Our clever Circadian Clocks must all adjust and it takes about a week to do this. The surge of melatonin needs to get in line with our routines now. The best way to adjust quickly is to go outside in the Palmer mornings and stare at the sun carefully. That supposedly will yank your cycle into an earlier overdrive. The seasonal time change is basically just a disruption of clocks and frankly, something we could do without.

BUT—There is also no guarantee of lasting spring yet for the Palmer Area. This is the time of the year, when folks are very fragile. The outside sunny weather seems inviting and seductive but indeed it is deceptive. Depression rides high at this time (and we all feel like sissys because we aren’t joyful yet, despite the decrease of the dark times.) So be careful out there. It’s a sneaky month…you can slip and fall, and you can have your expectations dashed. There will not be any real flowers or bunnies this month. There will be some wind. And probably snow. Be prepared. The birds will begin to return! Even in Palmer, the most perfect place in the world, the March of March makes no exemptions from March madness.

Palmer is Drying Out—And we are not speaking about bars, breweries, beverages or rainfall. We are talking about the lack of snow this season which will likely cause an increase in the amount of fires, due to brush and burning. Honestly it has been a great spring for those non-skiers. Skating and Walking has been sweet this year as well. But because of the lack of moisture in the ground, we can expect more fires. And it is not too early to speak of this.

Cool Stuff in Palmer This Week—Tuesday is Birding for Everyone at the Palmer Depot. March's event will birding basics with a look towards the spring migration. Doors open at 6:30 pm, presentation begins at 7pm. All welcome to attend this free community event.The Mat-Su Trails and Parks Foundation, Revel, & friends have joined forces to host monthly educational lectures/presentations November 2024 through April 2025. Each month features a different topic with the goal of connecting locals to different recreational opportunities.

Matt Hopper is at the Fishhook bar on Friday night. Live Music at the Klondike this weekend. Saturday is the Crazy Lazy Race at 11am. This is a mountain race in the morning and it is indeed crazy. It starts at the Lazy Mountain trailhead.

Barbara Hunt is both Palmer writer and artist. She works hard to keep the robust pulse of Palmer, Alaska. She shares the good stuff in the weekly Palmer Alaska Buzz Column in the Mat Su Valley Frontiersman and daily on the Palmer Alaska Buzz Facebook Group. Contact at bhunt@mtaonline.net or text 907.315.3222