April 06th, 2018

I don't know about you, but I was raised to believe that there were four season in every year.  Even in primary school, we were assigned colouring pages that were specific to Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.  I remember colouring them in and having to wait for my turn at the gold crayon to properly complete the "Fall" page.  It was probably First or Second grade.  If anyone were to ask anyone else, "how many seasons are there?"  The answer would most probably be four.  That's what we are taught.  Even if you goggled that question today, that would still be the answer.

I happen to disagree.

​I believe that there are far more seasons than four and that it's different in different parts of our enormous, diverse and fascinating country.  You disagree?  Please allow me to explain.

​There is, for example, The Christmas Season, or if you prefer to be excruciatingly politically correct, The Holiday Season.  The Christmas Season is a very specific period of time with particular events, behaviours and traditions involved. Loads of traditions in fact.   There is food that is distinctly associated as well as décor, music and even clothing.  There are small differences between families and in different parts of the US, but most everyone understands when a person says Santa, the reference is to Christmas, even if you personally do not celebrate it.

​Retailers everywhere will tell you that there is a "Back to School Season".   It's probably the second busiest time of year in the retail world. (I do not know that to be fact, but it seems reasonable to assume. Please correct me if I am wrong).  I remember taking my boys to the store to get them new clothes and new shoes just before the 1st day of the new school year along with every other parent within a reasonable driving distance. And then walking through Walmart or Walmart type stores with those endless lists of necessary school supplies, again with crowds of other parents doing the exact same thing.  Since we are all doing the same thing at the same time, I would venture to say that this qualifies as  a specific season.

​Where we live, as well as considerable number of other places, there is a definite period of time with a beginning and an end that is known as "Tourist Season".  Since where we live is warmer than other places in the winter, our Tourist Season runs, in general, from about October to April with the peak being Jan through March.  If you love skiing and other wintery sports, you might go to the mountains of Colorado where the snowiest part of the year is actually in the late winter through Spring so that would be Tourist Season there.  Doesn't make it any less of a season.

​In a more microcosmic way, down here we also have another area specific season, Windows Open season versus Windows closed with the AC on Season.  Windows Open season ended just a few weeks ago. I was very sad. I vastly prefer fresh air over conditioned air.

​For us the winter into early spring is a Dry Season.  We don't get much rain then and the grass turns brown and looks dead.  At some point in the spring we slowly begin to get rain again. And then more and more until it rains for at least a few minutes nearly every day and the lawns turn lush and green or gorgeous again. And that, of course, would be the Wet Season.

​There are HuntingSseasons, Fishing Seasons and times of year when it's okay to eat particular types of seafood.  There is the Pereseid Meteor Shower Season in July and August when it's far more likely to see shooting stars streaking across the sky. Carnival and Fair Season is usually in the late summer and early fall and particular Growing Seasons for different sorts of vegetables and fruits.  

​I adore the various Fresh Fruit Seasons and glut on whatever has just ripened until I'm heartily sick of it and then move on to the next.  I remember starting with strawberries in June and going through to the peaches of August.  I do the same with fresh vegetables as they become available at my local farm market.  There is nothing quite like fresh food that is In Season.

​And this is just a sample of the first few thoughts that popped into my head.  I'm sure that there are loads more!  So I'm sure you can now agree. The evidence does not allow for anything else! We are limiting ourselves to four seasons when I am positive that the number is far greater.  

​What a wonderful thing.  A year filled to bursting with one wonderful season after another!!

​Enjoy them all, my friends and have a wonderful weekend!