Four Seasons & Me

Autumn.  I don't usually pay attention to Autumn.  

Winter.  Yes, I'm a fan.  I absolutely love spending my days on the beach at low tide and collecting sea glass, smooth river rocks and watching my son jump from big rocks, making grandiose proclamations as he catapults himself from a large log or craggy rock, writing our names in the sand with smooth driftwood and enjoying every last second of light until the large orange orb dips down into the great Pacific Ocean.  We then run to our car as fast as we can, empty the sand from our boots and turn up the seat warmers.  Yes, the beach in winter is my all-time favorite place to be.  I make resolutions to slow down.  I drink hot tea or red wine as my evening ritual.  I watch the storms from my living room window, perched on my couch and reporting out to locals that call to see if the road is flooded on Highway One in Valley Ford.  I make soup.  A lot of soup.  I get to wear my favorite silver Hunter boots for months at a time and feel like a strong gladiator woman on even the tiniest drives to school, as I chauffeur my little man to-and-fro. Yes, I'm looking forward to winter.

Spring.  I pay so much attention to the changing natural world during this time.  I stop along the side of the road to snap pictures of moss, photograph the farm animals all around me and notice flowers blooming.  It's sounds corny, but it's true.  I love seeing the world slowly wake up for spring.  I'm energized to get out in it.  Start planting seeds or plants around the garden.  We read books about farm life and urban farmers.  Spring seems hopeful and promising.  I like that about it.

Summer.  I think I like the freedom of summer.  I definitely enjoyed the sleeping in, loose schedules, talking about an adventure and then actually picking up and doing it.  The grey days of Northern California do get me down, but sunshine is always just over the hill in our neighboring towns.  Summer camps for the boy.  Our plastic thrifted mini-pool to soak my feet in while sipping a cool something to drink and reading a stack of magazines.  My boy, shirtless, playing with his world of animals on the front deck or living room floor for hours at a time.  Going to the farmer's market in Occidental.  Making homemade pizza.  Having friends pop by for the weekly sipping of Mick Unti's rosé (a-la-rosé-Wednesdays).  Hanging laundry.  BBQ's.  Weekly trips to the library and bi-weekly visits to the bookmobile.  Oh, I could go on and on.  Wait, I forgot to mention all of the plump, wild blackberries!  Oh, I think you get the picture.  Summer rocks around here.

Autumn.  Not so much.  I mean I was a little sad when school started, if I'm being honest.  I would miss our unstructured days and nights.  I did enjoy the miles and miles of roadside dill and Queen Anne's Lace blooming like mad on my drives to town.  Our apple trees finally produced for us and I spent days in the kitchen transforming them into apple sauce that I froze for future sack lunches and pork chop pairings.  That was all good, but mostly things are dying and the cycle in the garden is coming to an end.  I know it's a great metaphor for life and all, but it still brings me down.  Let's not forget to mention all of the snake sightings, too.  I am deathly afraid of snakes.  Big ones? Yep.  Little ones?  Oh, most definitely.  Any and all snakes make me jump out of my skin.  They totally freak me out.  The time changes and that bums me out, too.  I have enjoyed the morning sunrises and early sunsets, but hate the fact that it gets dark so soon.  I also know that this is all part of a bigger picture and because autumn occurs, then my winter can come.  I know it, but I still have a hard time adjusting to the change.

I guess I am settling into this seasonal change.  It's hard, but I feel myself slowly sinking in and paying attention to where I need to focus and change direction.  Paring down.  Releasing some responsibilities and social obligations.  I guess that I am feeling more like Autumn than I cared to imagine.  Out with the old.  Put it to rest.  Get ready for the downpour and re-emerge this Spring with a new perspective.  Ah, I get it now.  Autumn, you are a tricky season.  I think we will be friends eventually.  Maybe next year is our year?  We'll see.