Because we are all dealing with the harsh realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, having to lose an hour of daylight seems like too much to ask. Actually, the end of Daylight Saving Time means that the sun goes down around one o'clock in the afternoon and we are in darkness most of the 24 hours of the day. Okay, okay, not really, but it sure seems that way, and all the dark news about politics and the pandemic just make things tougher to take this year.

We only have one more month of Daylight Saving Time. We fall back an hour on Sunday, November 1, so before we all start hibernating for the winter, here are a few things you can do to take advantage of the next couple of weeks of afternoon sunshine:

1. Go for a walk - I love to go to Ascarate Park to walk around the lake. It is so pretty and it's hard to believe that we have such a nice lake in the middle of the desert. If you go, just don't feed the ducks bread. It's not good for them. Just admire them as you get some exercise.

2. Do a little day drinking - This year, your day drinking will probably have to take place on your back porch because, as of this article being published, bars still aren't allowed to open in Texas unless they also have a restaurant license. Before you begin you winter cocooning and binge-watching on the couch, drag your cooler outside to your back porch one more time and drink a couple of cold ones while you enjoy the late summer sun.

3. Take a day trip - You can get out of town and wander around Ruidoso or Albuquerque, just remember before you jump in the car to drive for a few hours and then head back to town you'll need to call ahead to wherever you're going to make sure that they'll be open.

4. Soak up the sun - When the sun starts setting seemingly right after lunch during the fall and winter, you'll be sorry you wasted the light, so just grab a blanket and head out to any sunny spot and soak up the sunlight before it's gone.

In case you're wondering, Daylight Saving Time in 2021 happens Sunday, March 14.

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