“In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours. “
Winter is a solitary season. I sit in my warm house with the doors shut against the cold. My neighbors and I wave as we drive pass each other going one place and another. The world goes quiet when it’s winter, and I seldom hear outside sounds except for the rain and the wind. I have more sloth days in winter than in any other season. Winter days are for flannel, sweatshirts and warm socks. Winter nights are for down comforters. I read, sometimes the whole day into the night. I like soups and stews and macaroni and cheese. An afternoon nap is a bit of bliss. I abide winter in its turn.
This time of year is the yin-yang season, the time of winter and spring. It is the most frustrating of all the seasons because it isn’t really one or the other. The calendar says spring but the weather is sometimes wintry, cold and even snowy. Two warm days lull us into thinking it is spring then a day of 23˚ throws winter right back at us. The only consolation is in the garden where the spring bulbs have become flowers bursting with color. Today will be warm. Tomorrow will be in the 20’s during the day and the teens at night.
Summer is the social season. I am out and about a couple of evenings each week and spend my days on the deck sitting under the trees, sometimes reading, sometimes just sitting. My friends and I have our movie nights and game nights. My neighbors are out in their yards mowing and raking and playing with their kids. I can hear their voices from my house. The birds are loudest in the morning when they greet the new day. I love the songs they sing. The front garden is filled with flowers of every color, and I always stop to admire it when I go to get my papers. The rain in summer seems gentler even with thunder and lightning. Sometimes I sit under my outside umbrella during a rainstorm just to hear the drops. I love summer nights with all the sounds of night birds, the flickering of fireflies in the backyard and the candlelight glowing from the glass tree hangings. Summer is just so glorious.
Fall is the magnificent season, my favorite of them all. The garden shops are filled with pumpkins and mums whose colors are a bit muted, perfect for fall, the end of the growing season. It is still warm here during the day but cools a bit during the night. In late fall, when even the days get cool, I always think they are a slow easing into winter, a warning about what’s coming. I know winter must have its turn, but I wish it wasn’t at the expense of fall.
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Tags: bird song, cold, cold nights, flannels, rain, solitary season, spring, summer, sweatshirts, warm days, winter, yin yang
Both comments and pings are currently closed.18 Comments on ““In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours. “”
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March 22, 2014 at 1:03 pm
As we speak, it is actually snowing. This is maple sugar weekend, when many sugar shacks are open to the public. the girls will be here shortly and we will be going to a maple sugar place near us for maple snacks and maple cotton candy. At least it’s snowing and not raining.
March 22, 2014 at 1:12 pm
OMG, I can’t believe you have snow. That is too much!
The day sounds fun. My posted picture is perfect for you. Maple cotton candy is new to me, never heard of it before this.
I love the taste of maple and always buy real maple syrup, not the plastic bottle make-believe syrup.
Have fun!!
March 22, 2014 at 1:46 pm
The plastic bottles have high fructose corn syrup and a bit of maple flavoring. There is nothing like the real thing.
A minute ago it was pouring snow, and now the sun is out.
March 22, 2014 at 1:54 pm
I seem to be hitting you today. My quote works perfectly with your weather!
The sun is out and it would be a lovely day except for the wind. It is cold, too cold to sit outside.
No, I never use the fake syrup.
March 22, 2014 at 3:32 pm
Somehow, I thought that the maple trees give us the syrup in the fall not in the spring. Of course the nearest maple tree to me is probably 1,000 miles away 🙂 My kids think maple syrup comes out of a bottle. They probably think milk comes from a plastic bottle too.
March 22, 2014 at 3:40 pm
Bob,
The sap runs when the weather gets a bit warmer. The old fashion way is to tap the tree and catch the sap in the buckets.
The bottle stuff isn’t even close to real syrup. They call it maple-flavored syrup because they can’t claim it as true syrup.
I always have real syrup in the house.
March 22, 2014 at 2:26 pm
I just had pancakes with maple syrup so I liked that photo 🙂 Over here maple syrup is as expensive as gold but I’m lucky to get it for Christmas from a blogger friend in the USA 🙂
Spring is my favorite season, when life restarts and the Blackbirds are singing from the tiops of the trees. They are always the first to start and last to stop when night arrives. I like both summer and autumn too but winter is not a favorite of mine.
I rarely see my closest neighbor even in summer but I think things will change this year since they’ve gotten a baby but then again who knows if they are the kind of people that believes everything outside is dangerous 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
March 22, 2014 at 3:35 pm
Christer,
Real maple syrup lasts forever. I can’t imagine using fake syrup.
I don’t which bird it was, but it had a concert this afternoon and sang a long time. I sat and listened because it was lovely.
The mornings are amazing. A few times I was awake before the birds, but as the light started to announce the day the first birds sang. Amazing!
My neighbors and I get together far more often in summer. We sit outside until late at night. I love those evenings.
March 22, 2014 at 4:29 pm
I’ve heard about fake maple syrup but I don’t think it’s sold over here. The few stores that sell maple syrup sells the real thing and it’s so expensive that it hurts to buy it 🙂
March 22, 2014 at 9:25 pm
Christer,
Even here real maple syrup is expensive. One of my breakfast places gives you a choice-real or fake. You know which one I choose!
March 22, 2014 at 3:39 pm
My least favorite season is winter. Somehow it’s easier to take off cloths rather than bundling up. And, it’s easier to cool off by jumping into water than trying to warm up in below freezing temperatures. I also hate driving, walking or doing anything in the snow or ice. I don’t like winter sports and I hate shoveling snow.
Spring and fall are the nicest times of the year when we are between outbreaks of tornados. I like nice steady rain and not the torrential downpour we get with big thunderstorms. The water just runs off during downpours instead of soaking into the ground. This year we’ll take rain any way we can get it. Today has been cloudy all day and not one drop of rain yet.
March 22, 2014 at 3:44 pm
Bob,
It’s mine as well, but I always say it is easier to get warm in winter than it is to get cool in summer. Layer in winter and you’re fine. In summer you just sweat as many people here don’t have central air.
We loved winter as kids as there was so much fun with snow and ice. We sledded and ice skated all the time.
Spring is ugly here near the ocean and doesn’t arrive until quite late. Fall lasts a long time and is my favorite season. I love thunder and lightning storms. They are just so dramatic.
We had a wet winter with plenty of rain and snow.
March 22, 2014 at 7:55 pm
I am so weary of Mother Nature and her ongoing pms. It was 70 yesterday, tonight they are giving snow flurries. It’s just not okay. Yesterday I grilled, tonight it’s heartier food. Gracious.
March 22, 2014 at 9:15 pm
plgcm,
I know! I know! This is the craziest of springs, and I have no idea what in the heck Mother Nature intends. She is playing with us, and I am not happy.
March 23, 2014 at 11:25 am
I would agree. Winter this spring is crazy. My tulips don’t know whether to give up or bloom.
Our snow showers this a.m. lie two inches on the ground and there seems to be no end in sight. Tomorrow and Tuesday are supposed to be about the same. Now Wednesday there is a change with ‘ice pellets’ in the mix. And of course the high for Saturday will be near 55F, only to drop back into the 20 somethings again the first of the week.
Going to ignore it all and go to the ‘Spring’ car show at the arena. Mostly likely it will be just the locals showing as the weather is not really good for the out of towners to bring their stuff in. Still there is a lot of good local talent and many nice cars, some old, some hot rods and some just for fun, to be seen. If I get some good photos I’ll post them on the Box and let you know.
Carl
MTC
and now gomerfudd too
March 23, 2014 at 11:48 am
Carl,
Yesterday was warm and tomorrow will be freezing.
I saw more blooming flowers in the garden this morning. The poor things with temps in the 20’s coming.
You would love summer Saturday nights. There is an old car show every Saturday at the parking lot near the grocery store. The cars usually have their hoods up and people stroll the rows looking at the great old cars.
I’m looking forward to the picture!
Enjoy the car show!
March 24, 2014 at 9:26 am
Kat,
I really enjoyed the car show. Lots of new handiwork this year, and most beautifully done. Unfortunately, the way and place that the show was set in did very little to enhance the cars.
The Trades and Industry Building is long and narrow and they packed two rows of cars on each side and so close together that only one person could pass between them at a time. And due to the poor lighting and “No Flashes Please” signs posted everywhere, photography was extremely limited. I got a few ‘dark’ ones that I may be able to tease into some form of visibility and I will work on them this afternoon during the forecasted ‘light snow mist’ (a cute term I hadn’t heard before this year. Seems weatherology is expanding their vocabulary to make their forecasts even more difficult to understand.)
The last snow mist we had about two weeks ago, left us with over six inches of the white mist on the ground. Fortunately, snow this time of year just makes the grass greener and give a good boost to the spring bulbs.
Again, I’ll let you know if any of the photos make it to the Box.
Carl
March 24, 2014 at 9:57 am
Carl,
There is a car museum in Sandwich. The cars are in single rows with plenty of space between them. You get to see all of them, inside and outside. Too bad the organizers didn’t get a loo at what works so well for displaying cars.
I can’t think a flash would hurt those cars. That’s a strange demand.
WE are due for a huge storm, and they are not minting words. Luckily the amount has been reduced from up to 12″ to up to 8″. It is a nor’easter so predictions are just maybes.
Thanks, I’d like to see them.