Just north of this "M" (for Miners, the college nickname) Mountain was a peak that looked amazingly like a strawberry and so it was called. Our house in the farming valley northeast of town gave us a glorious view of both.
The month of June for us was hot and dry, but usually around the 4th of July, the monsoons would start. During that season, most mornings would begin with a bright, blue sky and not a cloud in sight. As the day warmed up, the clouds would build over the mountains to the west. They would grow in intensity during the afternoon and quite often bring a shower with them.
Before the flood control project provided a bypass for the water, my dad would watch the storms roll in. A hard rainstorm over Strawberry Peak meant that water would rush down the arroyos (washes, creeks -- what do you call them?). The path ultimately included a drainage canal that usually carried just a few inches of water. A couple of times the canal overflowed its banks and covered our little farm area in water.
Our region had four distinct seasons, each beautiful. Summer could be enhanced by the fresh fruit and vegetables we raised and by the smell of freshly cut alfalfa in the fields. Fall brought the county fair and a load of school activities. Winter included snow only occasionally but left me with some great memories. Spring meant our entire property was in blossom.
For some reason, it was the unpredictability of the summer monsoons that I now cherish the most. To me, life can be like those days with clear skies followed by storm clouds followed by the fresh air after cleansing rain.
Thinking back to your town, which season did you like best? Why?
4 comments:
I was very fortunate to spend my childhood in Lexington, KY. You would rarely find a more beautiful place for any of the 4 distinct seasons. My personal favorite, as a child, would have been spring. Because that was when everything turned green and pink and white and yellow. That was when the horses would be running and leaping in the pastures instead of standing huddled together. That was when I could get outside to roam and play for hours at a time. That was when, in my younger years of childhodd, my grandparents would start gardening. My grandfather always had a HUGE garden. Most of the backyard was his garden and he spent any and all free time back there. He grew everything. And spring time meant that the gardening started up again. Once my grandparents moved away and I was older, springtime meant a chance to go and visit and stay with them over my spring break!
So I'd have to say that springtime would be the most memorable season from the area where I grew up.
Summer. It gave me the opportunity to be barefoot outside as well as inside (I hated shoes!). While I loved school, summer break held so many great events - 4th of July, my birthday, our block party, spending 2 weeks at my grandparents' house in Galena, and our neighborhood garage sale.
My best friends lived 5 houses down from me, but went to a private school. Summer was our chance to play together all day, every day.
The most memorable season for me growing up in my hometown was Fall --- growing up in northern British Columbia... there are tree and more trees as far as you can see - I can remember of the leaves were so vivid and beautiful. I would love to go for long walks in the forest by our home and just soooking up everything around me. michelle
I can complete the set - winter was my favourite.
Not just because of Christmas and my birthday (though that helped), but I've always been a little bit shy of the sun, so winter was the time I was happiest to be outside - whether sledging or just taking a walk through crisp, frozen countryside. And if it wasn't nice enough to go out, it was great to stay in by the fire.
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