The week is finally over and the crazy cold has gone. It’s 28F/-2C. I’m no meteorologist, but that sounds pretty average to me. All the cold just affirms to me I’m where I should be. I could probably live happily anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon and east of the Mississippi.
Has it been awhile since I gleefully recounted my gratitude to be home? I feel like it has. And yet, this week, every time someone bitched about the weather, I thought, “Meh, it’s as it should be.”
Some winters are brutal, others are mild. The cold should burn your nose several times each winter. I demand snow. I want icicles. Did you know if you live in southeast Georgia for seven years, it may only snow once, and not accumulate? You’d never see an icicle in southeast Georgia. You’d see snow on palm trees, which is pretty cool, but definitely not my idea of snowy trees. Spring here is glorious. Spring tosses up bright, colorful bulbs and green grass. The incredibly verdant splendor of spring makes my heart sing. Every day, something new blooms. Spring in southeast Georgia was just a day when all the azaleas bloomed and I said, “Ooh! Aaah!” and that was that. Spring here is also wet as fuck and brings with it mud, mud, and more mud. There are floods and wet shoes and wet dogs and umbrellas bent over backwards. Fuckin whirlygigs all over the place, rooting to make new trees. Snow and ice still visit us in spring here. When, as I’ve heard this week, Hoosiers say, “That should be the last of it!” in January, I check a box in my brain noting this person is only with us in spirit. Although rare, it has snowed in May where I live. Summer is my least favorite, but then, summer brings all the fruit and fruit is my favorite. Have you even grown tomatoes? Have you ever gorged on watermelon? Pullin stuff outta the garden right and left, like, “LOOK WHAT THE EARTH MADE!” Sunflowers, okay? PETRICHOR. Summer is hot and sticky and full of mosquitoes and sunburn is a health hazard. It gets hot as blazes here, over a hundred some days and you can’t properly enjoy soda or alcohol because you have to drink water all goddamned day just to stay alive. Aggressive fucking YELLOW JACKETS! But we get lightning bugs and majestic thunderstorms, although not at the same time. When I’m red-faced and weak and itchy, I KNOW it won’t last forever. Summer in southeast Georgia is eternal. I arrived in June, did my very best to hibernate, and then when I was putting up my Christmas tree with open windows, I called my mother (Florida native) to ask her when the hell I’d ever be able to wear a sweatshirt. “Maybe February,” she said. I threw out most of my warm clothes when I lived in Georgia. When I left Georgia, I owned 14 pairs of open-toe shoes. As far as I could tell, fall in southeast Georgia simply meant people decorated their houses with things that are organic in Indiana — bales of hay, dried corn, a scarecrow. Everything just turned a darker shade of brown or a lighter shade of tan. Pumpkins couldn’t be out in that heat. Pumpkins were indoor decor, needed the a/c. Wear a tank top, not to the punkin patch, but to the BAMBOO FARM, pick strawberries, not apples, in the fall. And don’t forget the sunscreen! Here in Indiana, fall is idyllic. Fall is spotted with every warm color under the sun. The foliage is spectacular. Everywhere you look it’s orange or yellow or red and this landscape, a green carpet littered with red and orange and yellow against a blue sky, this sight catches your breath in your chest because it’s so incredibly beautiful and you’re in it! Boots! Fall is also wet as fuck here. In the fall, it floods and there are wet shoes and wet dogs and umbrellas bent over backwards. The gutters choke on the beautiful leaves, we slide on the beautiful leaves, and once they’ve sat, heavy and wet, they’re a rusty, murky shade of brown that presents a moldy odor that some of us cannot get enough of. That smell, accompanied by the smell of burning leaves is the quintessential smell of autumn, and for me, sheer bliss. And it might snow. And here, it is always “tornado season.”
If you live in a place like mine, you know. There are extremes in the heights of each season. Each season does what it’s supposed to do and lovers of four-season weather enjoy it for what it is — another passing phase. For people who are truly happy in four seasons, there’s a mentality of adaptability that may well translate outside our ever-changing landscape. Four-season people know how to take the bad with the good, as it seems a small price to pay for snow, but also tulips and tomatoes, and Lord Almighty, have you seen the fall on this place?!?
For other people, not so much. For me, crucial to my well-being. Feast yo eyes.
Stream of Consciousness Saturday — SoCS ‘affirm’ is brought to you by LindaGHill
I’m glad the weather is improving – if only a bit. We have two seasons – green and brown. Green is definitely my favorite.
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*nods*
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sometimes it takes living away to realize how much you appreciate things – like a full four seasons –
for you it was Georgia and for me it was Florida – and like you, I need “real” sweater weather and snow and cold and ice and deep freezes….
Also, in your post, I really love how you covered the topic of seasons in thought and in photos.
and seriously – this quote needs to be put into a little poster:
“For people who are truly happy in four seasons, there’s a mentality of adaptability that may well translate outside our ever-changing landscape. Four-season people know how to take the bad with the good.”
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Thanks so much! And thanks for the lovely photo comments as well. Sorry you had to endure Florida.
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“Meh, it’s as it should be.” – I love that and the rest of this post – and the pics. Thanks for reminding me of the benefits of four-season living and the horror of living in a southern climate.You also have to consider that in SE GA, your dog never gets to run in the snow – that’s truly sad.
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Absolutely! Sadie LOVES snow! 🙂 Thanks!
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My labs used to love the snow and these comments brought back some nice memories
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They must have been fun to watch.
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Especially the first few snows when they were pups – we are in Virginia and so a few winters we had hardly any snow – weird – but have had it regularly for at least a decade now
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Puppies in the snow are just so fun to watch.
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Woof woof
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Our neighborhood roaming black lab is absolutely adorable with snow on his snoot 😛 THAT’S how they should photograph black dogs, in snow!
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I agree! It looks so amazing – and Joey – did you say neigbordhood lab…
Sure wish I could be in on that cos we are dogless (need to be right now after two sets of labs over the years) and so a lab in the hood would be nice for some pet therapy – with or without snow
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Yeah. He’s our neighbor’s — his name is Cooper and he’s about 2. He runs around freely, which is quite scary for visiting repairmen and sometimes us, afraid of hitting him with our cars and whatnot. We live where busy is down the street, so we worry a bit, but so far, so good.
He comes to play with our dog sometimes. If he’s out, he’ll great us when we get home, or walk with the girls home.
I hope you find some pet therapy.
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Fantastic paean to the Indiana seasons! Most gorgeous photos, too! And HOW I love people who use the word petrichor! 🙂 ❤
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Thank you very much! 😀
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We here in Victoria don’t see much in the way of seasons, but I can wear sweatshirts pretty much all year round!
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That IS a bonus! Where you live is beautiful and I would like to visit that area 🙂
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We’ve had heaps of snow and let me tell you it’s no picnic. Tourists are singing winter wonderland in their instashots but for locals it’s really not fun. For instance pushing a double stroller in snow is already a workout but then when it gets stuck and you need to get to work but are stranded in a snowy un-ploughed park with two toddlers, you feel like crying. Fours seasons are overrated! Why can’t it always just be summer?? 🙂
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Pushing a double stroller anywhere is not a small task. Your situation is kinda the opposite of my previous one. You’re stuck in a cold place when you’d rather be warm. Spring will surely come there, too! Until then, I’m sorry you suffer 😦
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PETRICHOR. Love it.
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Yep. Same.
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Petrichor! That’s a new one on me….
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And such a good one! Well, if your nose remembers how it USED to smell up north 😉
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Yellow jackets are hostile! And people who live some place, who could easily move, but stay and complain because it is what it is, are annoying.
YAY for four seasons!
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Yes, they should move. More happiness for them! Less traffic for us!
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I think it would be nice to be able to see four seasons but around here it’s usually one season with varying degrees. I love living vicariously through you. Your pictures are gorgeous.
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Well thank you 🙂 It’s not for everyone, but definitely for me 🙂
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Haha! This is great, Joey. No more Georgia. Ever. 😀
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Never ever! 😀
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Beautifully written post and wonderful photos. Thanks, Joey. Btw, about winter, I’m a not so much person. Glad I moved from big time winter New England to moderate winter Virginia.
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Thank you, Kat! I’m glad you moved too, everyone should be in a place they can enjoy 🙂 (At least, mostly, right?)
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I agree. This frigid weather didn’t thrill me, but cold winters are as it is supposed to be. Now that we’re back into the 40s here I feel like this last week was a dream. Did it really get that cold? Will there really be beautiful flowers outside again… soon? Your montages are perfect. From cold to hot we go. And back again.
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Oh my gosh, Ally Bean, it was 40 when I took the dog out this morning! Birds were singing, the sky was blue — it felt like a gift! 😀
Thanks so much.
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Our locations sound remarkably similar. I love having four seasons. Boise is beautiful in the Spring with all it’s flowering trees. It’s pretty all year, even with naked sticks and squirrel nests against a grey sky. It’s a farming area still, so lot’s of produce. Northern Nevada gets two seasons, too damned hot, and too damned cold. It’s good here.
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I get that. Your landscape looks different, but I do see the changes. When I was in college, my then boyfriend read me a bit from something about Boise. How it was a premium American city. Not too big, not too small, blah blah blah and then declared we should live in Boise. He lives in Illinois now. I wonder if he’s on his way, slowly creeping west? 😛
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A lot of people have been creeping in here, mostly from the coast.
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I too am a four-season and winter lover, Joey. I’ve lived in the Midwest my entire life and I love it. When people here complain about winter, I want to say, “Then why are you living in the Midwest?” Snow on!
janet
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Agreed!
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You get lightning bugs! I miss lightening bugs. 20 years ago we used to see them every summer in the backyard. I think maybe the city spraying for mosquitoes has made them go away. It’s sad. But I have seen them in rural areas across the river.
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Yes, lightning bugs 🙂 My back 40 really has quite a display midsummer!
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❤ Ah. How wonderful.
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LOVED your writing today! Especially the part that starts with “LOOK WHAT THE EARTH MADE” and all that followed. Such an amazing stream of perfectly worded thoughts that made me chuckle out loud:)
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Thank you so much, Jami! Sometimes that stream of consciousness leads to some good bits 🙂
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I’m with you all the way on this one. I’m definitely a 4 seasons kind of person, but personally I’d make spring and fall MUCH longer and winter shorter. Winter takes up too much space in these parts. Summer is sticky and hot and humid, but since it doesn’t seem to last very long, I’m willing to overlook this flaw 🙂
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I would like longer fall and spring and shorter summer, and I totally understand you wanting to make your winter shorter!
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Yes! I’m with you on all of this, Joey! ❤
I LOL'd at "some days and you can’t properly enjoy soda or alcohol because you have to drink water all goddamned day just to stay alive." Hahahaha!
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Thank you, Jewels 🙂
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Yeahh! Great galleries and narrative. I’m a four-season person too living in the climate now, not in the seasons as much any more. No snow (or once for half a day in five years), no leaves because not many trees with leaves, but the spring is still gorgeous with all the new greens. As for summer, not for Joeys. 🙂
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You seem happy there, Manja. Of course, you do seem to go home often enough — maybe that helps. 🙂 Summer is not for Joeys!
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I do and it helps. But last year was the first time I saw autumn in 5 years and I was overjoyed. Hoping to catch spring in Slovenia this year.
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OH wow! Yes, get you a proper spring!
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Beautiful pics! Isn’t it funny how we northerners can gripe all we want about snow and cold temps but the minute a southern starts we violently defend our 4 seasons? Long live icicles!
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I don’t mind southerners griping, but natives. For the love of puppies, you’ve lived here all your life, it gets cold in winter, you know this!
Long live icicles! Long may they hang!
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The warmer, milder winters have made us all sissies. Hell, January used to mean negatives temps for weeks in end and storms with a foot each time. Now we get a flurry and it’s a news event.
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True story!
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What a beautiful post. As much as I dislike the cold I still appreciate the changes of seasons and you did a wonderful job articulating the reasons. I still like the hot more though.
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Thank you! I bet the heat misses you, too. You and your wide brimmed hats 🙂
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I can appreciate the springs and falls here in the north. I do love those first shoots of green proving that life does still exist and I love the yellows and reds of the fall. I struggle to appreciate winter, but I try. While there’s not much color change in Florida, in my first home there was a cypress tree that shed its needles in the winter and the fresh green sprouts always signaled spring to me. 🙂
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Well that’s a lovely memory, Amy! 🙂 I think you’ve adapted nicely.
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Sorry, Joey, I know I am super-dee-duper late in commenting here. Bad blogging friend!
Your winter cat and dog photos made me smile. I needed that tonight. After this past week of snow and frigid cold, then rain and ice over the weekend, and more snow and cold on the way, I’m almost done with winter. Hoping the chubby little groundhog is right, although I suspect we have six more weeks of winter either way.
I love spring – the smell of mud and new grass and the color of those beautiful green leaves on the trees. It’s a season of renewal and a reason to engage in the senses.
Hope your week is going well. Only three more days to another weekend!
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Woot! I’m glad you came 🙂 I hope you’ll have a very aromatic spring after all the crazy cold. How many weekends til spring? 😛
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Ummm…too many weekends!😏
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Hehe!
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Yes, all four seasons bring a distinct thrill. You got it going on there, too, Joey.
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This too shall pass like the seasons. Beautiful gallery. I’m enjoying my feast 😊
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Thank you!
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What an absolutely gorgeous gallery of photos! These four seasons are stunning…
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😀
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