All Four Seasons

It was 70-some degrees in Orlando yesterday and I was there enjoying the weather. And the flowers, the grass, and the sunshine. Last night as the landing gear on the plane was lowering, I was looking at the snow covering the Ohio ground. I am so happy to be back home, but wow, it was nice to enjoy sunny weather for a few days in February. Several times I found myself staring at the grass, almost in amazement. Is it crazy to miss grass?

In Ohio, when the fall leaves (get it?), everything is barren. No green grass, no colorful flowers, no leaves on the trees. Nothing. The Ohio wintertime color palette is white and brown. A little bit of blue if we're lucky.

I was in Orlando on a business trip. I'm sure people in Orlando have been sent to Ohio for business in February. I'm guessing they left wondering who would choose to live in this type of climate. P and I have talked about moving at some point to a nicer climate. We dream about how nice it would be--having access to outdoor activities year-round (and not having to bundle up with 15 pounds of gear), enjoying cool evenings on the back porch (because wherever we live we'll have a back porch) and loving the sights, sounds and smells of summertime year-round.

But unless there's a job transfer, we'll never leave. Why? Because Ohio is home. Because there is nothing better than seeing the seasons change, experiencing each one. Summer days so hot all we want to do is anchor the boat in a good swimming hole. Fall nights full of high school football, old friends and dried leaves crunching under our feet. Winters spent tucked inside, warm by the fireplace watching the snow sparkle outside. And springtime, noticing the trees starting to bud and the perennials peeking through the ground. I smile just thinking about it.

It's hard, but it's almost over. And as every Ohioan should know by now, you can't enjoy the cool and calm of spring unless you lived through the snow.