From the Crow's Nest: No time like the present

Well, it’s finally springtime in Texas and after those three or four days of a harsh winter, I am happier than a buzzard feasting on an unlucky armadillo. My lawn is green but not yet in need of mowing. Bluebonnets are abundant, and trees now have leaves on the branches that survived the ice storm. And, on most days, the temperature has been pleasant enough for me to get out and do ranch work without sweating like a politician hooked up to a polygraph.

Ever since that “historic” ice storm we had back in January, I’ve been hauling off huge limbs and downed trees with my tractor to brush piles. It’s a tad spooky to be dragging a huge cedar limb through the woods and hear a loud crack of a widow-maker making its descent nearby. Hopefully a few good thunderstorms will knock the rest of the dangling branches down so I can stop looking up while taking my nature walks and concentrate on what might be slithering in the grass in front of me.

Speaking of snakes, I hear the folks in D.C. are tossing around the idea of ending Daylight Saving Time. Personally, I don’t care whether they do or don’t. Since I am officially retired, it doesn’t really matter what time it is. I’ve got no place to be at any given time except during football season. I wake up at dawn, whether it’s 6:00 a.m. or 7:00, and I go to bed when I’m done napping through my favorite TV shows.

Being retired means I can get up whenever I want, but it’s usually determined by bodily functions. Once I water that dead patch of grass in the backyard, I continue my morning routine of drinking coffee and struggling to solve Wordle in less than 5 guesses. I’ve gotten it in 2 a few times, but lately, I think half my brain cells are waiting on that second cup of coffee before they start working. By the time I finish Wordle and the NY Times crossword, and after a hearty, fiber-filled breakfast, I figure it’s time to get outside and start my daily workout.

Lots of folks go to a gym for their exercise. I’ve gone to the Y numerous times, but not to use their exercise equipment. Having three grandchildren, I’ve spent countless hours watching basketball and volleyball games, but I have never used the gym and all that fancy equipment to get in some exercise. The past two weeks, my workout equipment has been a grubbing hoe, and my gym is several acres littered with mesquite shrubs. After several hours of chopping mesquite, I don’t need any clock to tell me when my shift is over. Once my back says, “That’s enough for today”, I head on back home, perch myself on a comfortable deck chair and pop the top on a 12-ounce can of muscle relaxer.

I’m not right sure what time happy hour officially starts out on the Crow’s Nest. This time change confuses me terribly. I normally wait until 4:00, but I can’t recall if we sprang forward or fell backwards. I go by the adage that says, “If you’re hot and thirsty, have a seat in the shade and grab yourself a cold beer”. Sometimes, my wife will say it’s not happy hour yet. That’s when I head out to another bar, usually my tractor shed where there’s a refrigerator but no clock.

After some cold refreshments and much-needed rest, I occasionally think about doing a little more work, but I usually come to my senses and decide to wait until tomorrow morning, after I finish my coffee, Wordle and the crossword puzzle. If Congress does repeal Daylight Saving Time, I’m a bit worried that it will shorten my work day and extend happy hour. Oh, well. Who am I to complain?