MY SEASONS

I think I experience different seasons than most people.  I know the usual seasons are Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.  My Seasons have different names.

In my life my seasons have more to do with what I am working on than the four known seasons.  For example, right now I am heavily into CANNING Season.  This is the time of year when it seems that every day is spent pouring vegetables into canning jars.  I often think that CANNING Season should be placed in the winter when the heat from the caner would be welcome.  Really, who in their right mind would turn on every burner on the stove during a heat wave.   I do it because there is something so rewarding about storing up our hard earned work of summer, to be enjoyed in the fall and winter.  This year I also tried some dehydrating and drying.  The peppers, with their dark fall colors,  look fabulous in an embellished jar. 

When I get done with canning everything in sight it will be SHEARING Season.  This season happens twice a year in my life.  I usually do the fall shearing a bit late because we have warm fall weather here in Maryland.   SHEARING Season is usually not very long.  I have two sheep and twelve fiber goats to shear.  I can usually get it done within a weeks time if the weather cooperates.   We trim feet and do any worming and shots all at the same time.  It's a back breaking season and should be followed by NAPPING Season, but this is not going to happen.

Shearing Season is followed closely by GIFT MAKING Season.  I love to make my own gifts for Christmas gift giving.  Of course, being a retail shop owner, making gifts during  THE SEASON, can be a challenge and usually it ends up being LETS GET NO SLEEP AND SEE HOW MUCH WE CAN GET DONE SEASON!  haha.  I love Christmas and all the happy decorations.

After the holidays, we go into RECHARGE SEASON. Not too much is demanded of me during this season.  Unless you count the accountant calling to remind me of what he will need for TAX SEASON.
 (I don't recognize this season on my calendar.)  Retailers do some trips during RECHARGE Season to purchase great items for the shops.  This is fun but it is very hard to look at those cute little snowmen and santas when you just got done taking down the Christmas trees!  The best part of RECHARGE Season is it is actually possible to take some time and just think!  And if we are really lucky, we might get to enjoy a snow day, too.

So, time to gear up and get ready for PLANTING AND CHICK SEASON!  This might be my favorite season of all.  I just love the excitement gardeners bring in with them as they get the earth ready for this years plants.  Gardeners are a hopeful group.   No matter what devestation the previous year brought, the gardener is ready to try again.  And then, the most fun time of all; the new baby chicks arrive at the store.  The air fills with cheeping as they rouse themselves from their travel stupor.

 One day old and ready to take on the world!  Welcome little ones!  Welcome to what some call  Spring.