A little bit about a lot of things:

• Seems awfully early....but Daylight Saving Time arrives this weekend, costing you that hour of sleep you theoretically “gained” last fall.

Adjusting to a time change always takes me a few days, but I do enjoy Daylight Saving Time (DST) and the extra hour of daylight that is offered in the evening.

The fall time change is depressing; it means that those winter days when darkness has fallen by the end of the workday are on the way.

The switch to DST brings a far more positive outlook, the realization that spring is just around the corner!

Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead Saturday night, or you’ll be an hour behind the rest of the world when Sunday morning rolls around...

• Early spring weather was at its best for a few days last week, including an absolutely gorgeous Friday to bring the work week to a close on a sunny note.

Winds and clouds (although no rain) were a reminder on Saturday and early Sunday, however, that the calendar still (in fact, barely) says March. Spring is definitely on the horizon, but Mother Nature can also be a capricious force and March can definitely bring a mixed bag when it comes to the weather.

For now, we’re joining the almond growers in hoping that mild, sunny weather continues to bless the orchards that are in full blossom, allowing the bees to do the pollination work so essential to a good crop.

March is the month we honor agriculture, and cooperative weather certainly goes a long way toward giving farmers reason to celebrate.

• Here’s an ambitious but intriguing thought.....Gustine residents Jim and Nancy Bonta are exploring the level of interest (and feasibility) of Newman and Gustine, as a community, helping send our World War II veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit the World War II memorial and other national monuments.

The Bontas want to get an idea of how many World War II vets would be interested in visiting Washington, D.C., and from that will come an idea of how much money would have to be raised to make the trip a reality. Those who would be interested in going are asked to contact a local veterans organization or get in touch with the Bontas at 854-1739.

Gustine and Newman have always taken pride in their veterans. Many young men from the West Side communities served proudly and bravely during World War II, and far too often paid the ultimate price.

Their sacrifices helped preserve the freedom we enjoy today.

Finding a way to help them visit the national monument recognizing their heroism....that’s a tall order, but wouldn’t it be a wonderful way to honor our veterans of World War II?

• The Bontas’ proposal struck a chord with me, in part because I have always held a deep appreciation for those who served, and in part because we’re planning our own D.C. trip in a few months.

I’ll be traveling with my dad, who has always wanted to visit Washington, D.C., but never had the opportunity......until now.

The trip was a family Christmas gift to my dad....and I (quite happily) volunteered to go with him.

It’s going to be an adventure for both of us, because I’ve never been to Washington, D.C., either, but from everything I’ve heard it is a very powerful, moving experience and I am very much looking forward to the trip.

The airline tickets are purchased, and the hotel reservations made. I have to admit, I was a little concerned when I punched the hotel address into Google Earth and discovered that I had booked a room for a week on what appeared to be a vacant lot. That wouldn’t be good. Fortunately, I’m (pretty) sure that there’s a real, brand-new hotel there now.

I’m sure we’re going to have a “must-see” list in Washington.....but we’ll also probably just spend part of the time exploring, seeing where free time takes us.

Not that I’m anticipating the trip or anything but, well, I’d go tomorrow if I could.

Be first to comment this story

Comments
Please keep the topic of messages relevant to the subject of the article. Please increase the credibility of your post by including your full name and city when commenting. Although we are under no obligation to do so, we reserve the right to remove any comments we deem to be defamatory, libelous or otherwise inappropriate.
Name:
Comment:
Code:*