October 20, 2009
It’s GREAT to have four seasons!
As I drove around the neighborhood over the weekend it was evident that summer has come to an end. Homeowners were preparing their yards for winter by cutting back the roses, and mowing the lawn for possibly the last time this season. Many were raking pine needles, saving some to cover flower beds, and the balance filling bags to be sent to the recycling/composting centers or the back yard compost pile. Folks were having new energy efficient windows installed, preparing the home for the coming cold.
On my morning walk this morning the air was cool and damp and the fog restricted the view. The temperature was slightly above freezing so the roads were wet, but not slick. It wasn’t hard to envision what is just weeks or maybe only days ahead. Leaves cover the sidewalks and pine needles fill the gutters. I was a little sad to see the warm days of summer leaving us and at the same time enjoying the florescent colors of fall.
How great it is to have four distinct seasons. As summer gives way to fall and we have began to tire of the 90 degree weather the mornings cool, the sun rises a little later and before you know it the trees begin to change from the solid green to yellow, brown, orange and some even a bright red. We know that soon the leaves still on the ground will be covered in white, first with frost that disappears by mid morning, then with the snow that may stay with us for a couple of months. We always hope that the snow sticks around until Christmas, or at least have fresh snow on Christmas morning. Usually by the middle to end of January we want the snow to melt and the grass start to change from the winter brown to spring green.
This morning, as I talked to a co-worker who is moving back to Arizona, I realized just how great it is to have four seasons. As we look forward to the first white blanket of snow that usurers in the Holiday Season, residents of the States in the South have nothing like this to look forward to. They won’t experience excitement we experience as the tulip bulbs start to sprout in the spring and the yellows, purples, white, and red flowers adorn our yards.
Embrace the seasons and enjoy the outdoor recreation available to all of us living in the Northwest, and specifically around Spokane. We really are fortunate to live in an area that has four distinct seasons as we have.
