Growing up in the North Eastern U.S. gives you a special affinity (not to mention allergies) to the Four Seasons of the year. However, I have this thing about the inaugral moment a season starts for me. I anticipate the changes in weather, sights, sounds and smells, but regardless of what the calendar states, the season does not start on a particular day for me. The season starts when I get my tradition "fix". I have certain traditions that help commence the seasons.
For Winter, it is Christmas Eve when all the friends and family are around, the candles and glowing and the aroma of home-cooked foods and beauty of house decorations make a warm welcome to the chilly season.
For Spring, it is the first windy day without rain, when the gray clouds of winter give way to the puffy white ones. I don't recognize Spring until I can fly a kite with my kids on one of those perfect days.
As for summer--well, even though I'm a teacher and you'd think the offical start of summer is 3:00 pm on the last day of school, it actually doesn't begin for me until I see my first drive-in movie outside after a picnic supper with friends and family. We don't live too far away from America's Oldest Drive-in Theater!!
And now for Autumn--it can offically start because our family has visited the Apple Orchard for our hand-picked version of Johnny Golds. I don't declare that Autumn is here until I ride the old raggedy truck out to the trees, bite my first apple and snap my farm photos like I've done every year since my children were born. That's what we did today, and so even though it is Oct. 1st tomorrow--today was the 1st day of Fall for me. Let the festivities begin!
