So I just posted my thoughts on daylight savings time and then came across this article which cleared up many of my questions.  Hopefully it will answer any questions you may have.

“Daylight Saving Time: Why Did We Do It?

At 2:00 a.m. local on Sunday, most of the United States (except Hawaii and Arizona) will leave daylight saving time behind and fall back an hour to standard time.

The annoyance of resetting clocks (or forgetting to, and showing up an hour early for appointments on Sunday) may raise the question of why we bother with this rigmarole in the first place.

Daylight saving time is most often associated with the oh-so-sweet extra hour of sleep in fall (and the not-so-nice loss of an hour in spring), but some of the original reasons for resetting our clocks twice a year including saving energy and having more daylight hours for retailers, sporting events and other activities that benefit from a longer day.

As far back as the 1700s, people recognized the potential to save energy by jumping clocks ahead one hour in the summer - Benjamin Franklin even wrote about it - although the idea was not put into practice until the 20th century.

During both World Wars, the United States and Great Britain began observing daylight saving time.

After the war, U.S. states were free to choose whether to observe daylight saving time and the calendar start dates of the time change. The result was time confusion for travelers and newscasters. In 1966, Congress enacted the Uniform Time Act, which stated that if any state observed daylight saving, it had to follow a uniform protocol, beginning and ending on the same dates throughout the country.

Starting in 2007, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 lengthened daylight saving time by four weeks, starting it three weeks earlier in spring and ending it one week later in fall. Daylight saving now begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday of November.

Formerly it began on the first Sunday of April and ended on the last Sunday of October, so that extra week gives trick-or-treaters a precious extra hour of candy-gathering before sunset.

But not everyone is wild about daylight saving time, with some states opting out all together and others proposing to do so.

Hawaii has never observed daylight saving time, as its tropical latitude means its daylight hours stay fairly constant year-round. Arizona likewise has not observed daylight saving time since 1967 because the extra daylight in the summer would just mean more energy consumption to keep the desert state’s residents cool.

Many Alaskans would like to stop observing daylight saving time because the change in daylight from summer to winter is already so extreme at their northerly latitude. A petition has even been set before the state this year to abolish the observance of daylight saving time in Alaska.

Florida too finds daylight saving time less useful because of it’s southerly latitude. In 2008, a Florida state senator introduced a bill to abolish the practice in Florida.

From 1970 to 2006, most of Indiana didn’t observe daylights time, but began to do so in April 2006 after eight counties in the western portion of the state switched from the Eastern to the Central Time Zone.

None of the U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, observe daylight saving time. ”

Andrea Thompson
Senior Writer
LiveScience.com andrea Thompson
senior Writer
livescience.com – Fri Oct 31, 2:33 pm ET

Years ago when my family moved to Coarsegold my parents bought a home on Thornberry Mountain in the Mudge Ranch area.  I remember being told that some where on that mountain was a gold mine that was believed to be rich in gold.  The only problem was nobody had been able to find it. 

The legend goes like this:  During the California Gold Rush and father and his two sons came out west to strike it rich.  After much hard work in the gold mine they finally struck gold.  Before they were able to make a profit the father and one of the sons was sent off to war.  The son who was left behind vowed to remain at the mine until the return of his family.  The son who was sent to fight was killed during battle.  After many years, the father finally returned to find his son he had left behind.  However, he was never able to locate the mine and it is believed that somewhere on Thornberry Mountain remains a mine full of gold.

 Fact or Fiction?  Who knows.  All I do know is that it provided many hours of fun and adventure for my brother and I growing up.  Who knows, someday maybe we will find the mine and stike it rich!!!

Sierra Vista Scenic Byway We wake up every day to breathtaking views of the Sierras.  But who of us has ever experienced the hidden beauty that lies in the mountains we see every day?  The Sierra Vista Scenic Byway is just over 65 miles and takes you to nine stops of breathtaking scenery.  These stops include: Redinger Overlook, Jesse Ross Cabin, Mile High Vista, Arch Rock, Jackass Meadow, The Balls/Portuguese Overlook, Globe Rock, Cold Springs Summit, and Fresno Dome, my personal favorite.  This scenic byway takes you through beautiful countryside where you can enjoy hiking, camping, fishing, swimming, bird watching and so much more.  On your way you will pass through North Fork, the exact center of California.  Take a day and truly enjoy what is around us hiding in our picturesque mountains.  A great reference sight for more information is http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/2300/itinerary/58139.   

One of the interesting things about Oakhurst, California is the fun and unique places that you can visit and enjoy.  There is a certain flavor here that is not mimicked in most other areas in the country.

For more than 20 years. Allan King and his late wife Barbara had collected vintage clothing.  They spent years having fundraisers so that they could display their finds in a museum setting that everyone could enjoy.  Their motto is “Fostering an awareness of the history and appreciation of vintage fashion.”

In 2002 they joined forces with the Wild Wonderful Women organization and their museum dream became a reality for all to enjoy.  Their feature exhibit was a bridal collection.  Fast forward to October of 2006.  The Museum moved next to the Children’s Museum of the Sierra.  There continues to be a fun museum for all to enjoy.  Exhibits change with the season, so be sure to visit often.

Exhibits to be seen are from the flapper era, Victorian era and vintage military uniforms to name a few.  The children’s display features clothing, dolls, shoes, and some very old books.

The address is 49269 Golden Oak Drive #100 in Oakhurst.  There is a $2 entrance donation that is needed.  Call (559) 658-6999 for more information.

About the Museum: The mseum is located on property that once was part of an old horse-drawn-freight wagon road (pre-Hwy 41) and an original historical adobe freight way-station. The 110+ year old building is a “packed adobe” made of mud and rock. After its use as a way-station, it was used for many years as a home. It is currently in the process of restoration and the progress can be viewed by visitors to the museum.The grounds also have a barn that the dedicated volunteers of the organization restored. It now houses the museum. In it artifacts and history of the region can be viewed. Also in the building are the research library and the Historical Society’s office.

Various sections of the museum represent the Coarsegold Market and Supply, a blacksmith and tool shop, a gold-panner hard at work, a tack shop, the kitchen of the Picayune School, an area of Indian artifacts, and an extensive display of pictures and articles about eastern Madera County. The barn has been dedicated to Ethel Kennedy who originally owned the property. The Coarsegold Historic Museum is owned and operated by the Coarsegold Historical Society, an educational nonprofit entity. The Coarsegold Historical Society was formed in 1981 to study and share the wonderful history of Eastern Madera County and the area known as Coarsegold in particular. From research the book As We Were Told was produced. Members interviewed 102 “old time” families (dating to the early 1800s) of the region and complied their stories to share with others. Various books about the area and its legends are available for purchase.In 1994 the Picayune School (in use from 1913 to 1956) was moved to the property. It was an elementary school especially for the local Chukchansi Yokut Indians. Picayune School is the only one-room schoolhouse in the local mountain area to be displayed as a school and is furnished with items dating to the period of its original use. It is now restored and listed on the California Register of Historic Sites and is a designated local Historical Landmark by the Madera County Board of Supervisors.

The Travel Channel is a cable television network that features documentaries and various other travel shows all related to traveling around the globe.  It was first launched in 1987 by Trans World Airlines as a way to boost airline travel.  It has since been sold several times over, and is a multi-billion dollar entity of Cox Communications.

Faithful viewers of the Travel Channel have experienced travel on African animal safaris, traveled to “haunted” destinations, toured grand hotels, and traveled to interesting spots around the United States.  One of the Network’s current most popular shows is “Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern”.  Zimmern will take you to various countries and sample food that just watching, will make your stomach tie into knots.

It is no wonder that one of the most spectacular destinations in the United States will be featured on the Network.  “Yosemite—America’s Treasure” will debut on the Travel Channel this Sunday, April 20th at 7:00 p.m.

The production of the show was shot in the summer and fall of 2007.  It is a one hour program where the cultural and natural history of the area, and the beautiful landmark features of Yosemite National Park will be front and center for all to enjoy.  The last show that the Travel Channel produced on Yosemite was 10 years ago.

The Travel Show as a viewer-ship of over 90 million people.  The showings of “Yosemite—America’s Treasure” is sure to enlighten people worldwide about the beauty of Yosemite and the surrounding area.   Watch out, there might even be more summer travelers wanting to see this great destination!

Oakhurst Library – Food For Fines Program

The State of California passed a law in 1911, requiring each county to provide free public libraries to all citizens.  With revenues from the federal government, the Oakhurst Library was built in 1977.   When it first opened, the Oakhurst Library was called “Fresno Flats”.  Currently, there are many services available including tax forms, internet assessable computers, music CD’s, books on CD and tapes, along with newspapers, magazines and most importantly, books.

“The mission of the Oakhurst Branch Library is to provide a balanced, accurate, and up-to-date collection of books and other materials, as well as professional information services, for the educational, informational, cultural, and recreational needs of the community.”

The Oakhurst Library will be sponsoring the “Food For Fines” program.  Under this program, library patrons with outstanding fines, can reduce or eliminate their fines by donating canned food items.  Each canned food item donated is equal to $1 in fines assessed.  Patrons are asked to not bring in dented or damaged cans, as they cannot be accepted.  Donations cannot be applied to lost or damaged items from the library.  Canned food items are being collected from November 26th through December 15th.  If you are interested in donating canned food, but do not have any fines to pay, feel free to join the fun and make a donation.  The Manna House will be receiving all collected items.
 
The Friends of the Oakhurst Branch Library will also be offering the “3 Bucks for Books” sale on December 1st from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m..   Proceeds will benefit the needs of the library.   Visitors will be able to fit as many books as you can in a bag for only $3!  All books are in good condition and are fiction, self help, art, history and travel, to name a few.   There will be a great selection of children’s books on site.  For more information, contact 559-683-7552 or 559-642-4333 or 559-683-4838.

We use our roads to get from one point to another without stopping to think that people were not always able to get from one place to another with such ease.

Madera’s early 19th century inhabitants were trappers, soldiers, and explorers. They couldn’t exactly be called settlers because they usually didn’t stay in the area for very long. But once gold was discovered, people tended to stay a little longer. Searching for gold became an industry unto itself, bringing in more people and more traffic. There was a need to improve transportation. People had to get around and of course, they would need ways to transport all that gold.

The Gold Chain Council was formed in 1919 and tasked with turning a rather rough and uneven dirt road into a highway. The success of these early settlers is still evident today as the Gold Chain Council is still the oldest highway association in the state. They worked on some of what is now Highway 49.

In 1921, Highway 49 was given a name that fit its origins: the “Mother Lode Highway.” In those days, the highway didn’t go past Mariposa. Like the highway itself, the part of the highway that went from Mariposa to Oakhurst also had a colorful name: it was known as Bootjack Road.

The Madera County Web site has a wealth of information on Madera’s past. Take a look to learn a little more about local history.

If you’ve always wondered what a Scotsman wears under his kilt, there will be plenty of people to ask this weekend at the 30th Annual Fresno Highland Gathering & Games. Madera County Scotsmen will be wearing the plaid this Saturday, September 15, when the games kick off at 8 a.m. at Fresno Roeding Regional Park. The park is located at 890 W. Belmont (Highway 99 and Belmont, just east of SR99) in Fresno, California. General admission is $12, seniors and military $10, children 6-12 $6, under 6 free; parking is $3. For more information and a map, visit the Scottish Society of Central California website.

If you’ve never been to a highlands games, you’ll find them fascinating. This is your chance to witness unusual sports like the hammer throw and caber toss, which looks like a telephone pole being hurled. Scottish athletics are not for the faint of heart. The tradition of the highlands games dates back to the Roman invasions in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Ancient chieftains and kings used the games to test the agility, cunning and physical strength of their clansmen. To the victors went the spoils: leadership in the clan and on the battlefield.

But highland games are not only about brawn. There are wonderful high-stepping dance competitions, a living history stage where Scottish stories are be told in the old oral tradition, great food, fabulous celtic music, plenty of celtic merchandise and special tents for clans and societies. And don’t forget the pipe and drum competitions. There is no sound in the world quite so spine-tingling as the sound of bagpipes played en masse.