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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Seasons come and seasons go

Autumn is one of my favourite seasons—summer being my favourite, I think.... I'm not very good at choosing favourites. But I like everything about autumn, actually, except that it leads to winter. 

I like it when the leaves turn fiery red and, in turn, transform the green mountains into a golden-hued peaks. I like it when the sun sets and turns everything a brilliant, burning orange.


I like the First Day of School and Thanksgiving and Halloween and Thanksgiving (again).

I like wearing sweaters and socks (but not shoes—ugh) and having the air be crisp and cool. It's a reason to enjoy hot apple cider and warm pumpkin pie. I like those things, too.

I don't like it at all when the trees fling off their leaves and stand around naked. 


How do they decide to do this? It doesn't make any sense. 

Here are two trees—the same kind—side by side. One has fully embraced the inevitable winter while the other is desperately clinging to our dying summer. 

Personally, I'm a clinger. But I've already broken out the sweaters, so...am I also a mutineer?

A couple of weeks ago when it was really cold—last week?—I whined to Andrew that fall was a useless season.  "It's just the gateway to winter!" I pouted. Then lied, "I hate it!"

I don't hate all of fall. Just the part where it morphs into winter. 

"Perhaps," he suggested, "If you thought of winter as the gateway to spring, winter wouldn't seem so bad."

I don't know. Winter and I aren't very good friends. Maybe this year I will try to be a little more welcoming, but I don't think I'll ever embrace it with the same reckless abandon that the trees do.

4 comments:

  1. Lovely post, Nancy! This year, fall has been splendid on the other side of the ocean. Filled with brightness and colors. Sunny days and crisp air.
    Most of the trees are still green though.
    Maybe we'll skip winter this year. :)

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  2. I've been saying for a while that fall is my third favorite season. I would like it more if it wasn't the prelude to winter. Spring gets extra points for being the prelude to summer, which is my first favorite. All the seasons have different redeeming qualities, and I love that I live somewhere with all four distinct seasons.

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  3. Nancy, I would like to respectfully disagree with Andrew. Winter is not "the gateway" to Spring, because it's WAY too long. Fall and Spring both rush by if you're not careful. If only winter would rush by, that would be great! If I had my way, we'd get snow the day after Thanksgiving through January 2, and then it would stop.

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  4. Is there a like button for Cristina's comment?

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