Seasons

"Ecologically speaking, a season is a period of the year in which only certain types of floral and animal events happen (e.g.: flowers bloom—spring; hedgehogs hibernate—winter). So, if we can observe a change in daily floral/animal events, the season is changing."

— Wikipedia

No one seems to know who (if there was a who) invented the seasons we have today. At least not as far as Wikipedia is concerned. That's as deep as I searched. But somehow we ended up with four seasons: winter, spring, summer and football. I mean, fall. Ancient cultures sometimes used an average-sunlight formula to reckon their seasons. The day with the most sunlight was the midpoint of summer, for example, and the day with the least sunlight was midwinter. 

For some cultures there were just two seasons: dove and deer. I mean, summer and winter. There was none of this "spring" or "fall" stuff. It was just hot or cold. Black or white. Strike or ball. Some cultures, like the ancient Hindu culture, had six seasons instead of two or four. That's kind of like adding a "lupper" or "linner" to the munch day. Or just a midnight snack (which I happen to be enjoying at the moment). As the ancient Egyptians put the monthly calendar to practice, seasons were reckoned by a dividing of the months of the year. According to moon cycles (about 30 days in a cycle), that put a season at either three months, four or five. Just depended on the culture.

Of course now that summer is gone here in North Texas, it's time to look forward to the new season of life and all it promises. The weather is turning progressively (if slowly) cooler, leaves will start falling from the oaks because nature tells them to instead of dehydration, and hot apple pies will be set on every kitchen windowsill. That's what Glade told me. And the scarecrows will still not be all that scary. 

Ahhh... fall. Greeted with the scent of Cashmere Woods and ragweed, goofy pumpkins and a mild autumn breeze.

I'm ready for it. Are you?

— John

 

P.S. — I was going to make some kind of spiritual analogy to seasons of weather and seasons of personal circumstance but I obviously went a different route. I was going to make a point that we all go through seasons just like the weather. Some of us live multiple winters in a row; others are always in the spring. I know I seem to be going from winter to winter these days. Sometimes I like the cold. Other times I long for spring. And get summer instead. Seasons are funny things, you know. Enough preaching. Enjoy your first full day of autumn!