Seasons

I seem to be constantly debating with myself over which of the four seasons is my favorite. ...Well, I suppose I'm not considering all of them options.

Summer ends up being the first season that I write off. I don't care for the heat and the general lack of change. Though I have to admit that I do enjoy the blue, occasionally cloudy skies, and I love the fact that the nights become a wonderful, cool temperature and, if I get far enough away from the city, I can enjoy the stars. 

Winter (which I'm sure everyone here will agree with me) ends up taking up at least 1/3 of the year if not more (When you end up with snow during the spring semester's finals week, I think I'm justified in my assessment). I like the snow, but only within a certain time period. ...And that time period does not include any time before November or any time after March. Now, on the plus side, I do enjoy the visual splendor of a winter's morning and the image of trees, barns, buildings, and fields dusted with fresh snow and a grey overcast sky. I also enjoy the pleasure of a storm going outside and my wife and I not having to be anywhere and being able to enjoy the warmth both of home and a cup of hot chocolate.

The two seasons that I am constantly trying to decide on as being my favorite are spring and fall. I love the transition seasons, the changing seasons.

I love spring because everything is coming back to life! I love the vibrant and new greens. I am always looking forward to that one day, sometime in spring, when it seems that EVERY tree in the valley opens their leaves and it's as if spring finally says, "I'm here!" New flowers begin to sprout and the beautiful colors dot gardens and mountain paths again. The temperature can range from pleasant to cold and sometimes even warm, and I'm okay with this. The major drawback with spring, for me, is that it is hayfever season. For that reason alone, I believe that the winner of this contest does end up being:

FALL!

I had my 'appreciating my surroundings' moment on Monday. We hadn't yet gotten the snow from Tuesday morning and the clouds were both dark and grey, and bright and white from the sunlight that was trying to make its way through the cloud cover. The valley was beautiful and splashed with the remaining colors in the trees and it was not yet cold. Just slightly chilled. Yellow and other colors speckle the ground in the form of leaves, but there are still enough on the trees that they don't look bare and dead. And then there's always the memory of my first fall in Germany that comes to mind at this time of year. Golds, reds, and oranges paint the trees that line the cobblestone streets in Berlin. A chill (not cold) breeze that pulls lightly at your coat and hair. ...Truly one of my most treasured memories from my time in Germany... One of the most treasured memories of my life.

Here is one great example of what Berlin looks like at this time of year. :) I really miss the cobblestone walkways.

Just look at all of the beautiful colors!

(These images were used with permission from Angel of Berlin. They are found on her blog here:

http://angel-of-berlin.blogspot.de/2012/10/autumn-colours.html)