As I mentioned, it rained yesterday, which also happened to be my birthday and also happened to be a Saturday and also happened to be the first rain we’ve had on a Saturday in quite awhile. Since the Big Storm™ of late August, the spell of months-long hot, dry weather has been broken, with generally cooler temperatures and a mix of sun, cloud and a some rain here and there.
We need the rain so I can’t really complain, especially given the climate we live in here, which generally leans toward wet with intervals of dry, followed by a lot more wet. In the winter this pattern normally magnifies tenfold on the wet parts.
The change in weather and the imminent official end of summer (in three days) has made me reflect on the seasons and, as always, I eventually came up with a list. In this list I rank the seasons from “please last six months longer through some form of magic” to “I tolerate you with a mix of loathing and open hostility.”
The Best and Worst Seasons
- Summer. Number one with a bullet. What’s not to like? The weather is mild or warm for months but rarely gets outright hot (er, this last bit may be changing somewhat as the last few years suggest climate shenanigans are affecting how hot summer gets here). The days are long, with plenty of light in the evening for pleasant walks, runs and other outdoor activities. The trees, flowers and other vegetation are in full bloom. There is lush green and other colors everywhere. It even smells nice. Anyone who hates summer probably hates kittens, too.
- Spring. Spring is basically proto-summer. It features a lot of the same positive attributes as summer, just dialed down. The days are getting longer but you won’t be strolling in the daylight at 8 p.m. quite yet. Trees are dressing themselves in leaves but timidly, as if they’re afraid to show off. It can be warm but at least it’s no longer cold. You can stop wearing layers upon layers. Most importantly, all of these things are signs that summer is on its way.
- Fall. Fall is kind of special in that it’s the only season that gets a bonus alternate title, Autumn. The best part of fall are the weeks when the trees still have most of their leaves but they’ve changed into a spectacular array of bold colors: red, oranges, yellows. For a time the world looks like a really nice landscape painting. You know, the kind not done on black velvet. Early fall also features the last vestiges of summer–the days are getting shorter, it starts getting cooler, but the changes come gently, easing you away from Best Season.
- Winter. Everything about winter sucks. The days are short. You get to a point where it’s dark when you leave for work in the morning and it’s dark when you get back in the afternoon. If you work in a place without windows you may never see actual daylight for weeks or months. It’s cold. It rains a lot. Wind often accompanies the rain, turning umbrellas into hazards to be dodged as their owners struggle to keep control of them on the sidewalks. Buses get smelly and damp. Sometimes it will snow and for a brief time the world falls silent and the blanket of white stuff brings a sense of calm and tranquility to the city. Then it warms up, the snow changes to rain and you have to slog through giant flows of slush. On top of all this, there are no flowers, the trees look like they’ve been nuked and the world is generally gray and dreary. About the best thing I can say about winter is that it’s nice to curl up with a cup of tea or hot chocolate after coming in from the cold.
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