My youngest son-in-law and I both love winter – easily as much as any other season. We get excited at the thought of the first snow and run around giddy while others are bemoaning the cold. We are, however, keeping our winter enthusiasm kind of off the radar right now.
Funny thing – when you love winter, people almost blame you when stepping outside feels like stepping into a freezer. I don’t know how many times I hear, “Well, I hope you’re happy…” I keep the fact that I sort of am to myself.
We assure our summer-loving family members that we didn’t cause this recent temperature plummet but I don’t think they’re convinced.
This morning, when I was replacing the birds’ water bowls with actual water as opposed to solid ice, I thought about our seasons here in Kentucky. We run the gamut, don’t we?!?! In the same yard, just months ago, I spent countless hot afternoons adding ice to the same dishes that I found myself dumping it out of this morning.
Although we were born and raised in Kentucky, we have lived in other states for periods of time. While each had many wonderful things about them – as far as I’m concerned, there’s just no place quite like Kentucky. When we lived in the Mid-Northwest, there were basically two seasons: Summer and Winter. When we lived in Florida, there were basically two seasons: Spring and Summer. I much prefer what we have here in Kentucky – four beautifully distinct seasons- yes, even winter and, yes, even THIS winter.
I Love What Kentucky Serves Up Each Season:
- the first robin of spring
- farmers selling their produce on roadsides in summer
- pumpkins in front of Kroger in autumn
- rabbit tracks in the snow
- grabbing a hot drink at Starbucks on a cold winter night
- college/high school Basketball in winter
- college/high school Football in autumn
- St. Louis Cardinals baseball in summer
- driving through the Land Between the Lakes in summer with the windows down
- driving through the Land Between the Lakes the rest of the year with the windows up!
- Kentucky State Park Golf Courses in spring, summer, and fall
- Kentucky State Park’s decorated lobbies for Christmas
- shopping for Christmas gifts with the heater pumping
- watching the sun shine on Rough River Lake, Kentucky Lake, and Lake Barkley
- rainy spring afternoons
- summer storms
- crocus flowers popping through the frost
- the aroma of chili cooking in the crock-pot on a snowy day
- colorful daffodils in spring
- wildflowers in summer
- and so on and on and on!
The point is, Kentucky keeps things interesting. No matter how hot summer may get or how (ahem, ahem) frigidly cold winter may get, we always know relief is just around the corner. As I’m looking out my window right now, birds are scrambling on a white frozen ground for the dried bread crumbs, peanuts, and birdseed I threw out this morning. But in no time at all, the ground will be lush and vividly green and these same birds will be enjoying something other than “frozen food!”
Our four distinct seasons are just one of the gazillion-and-one reasons I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.
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