Cycle of the Seasons

Happy 2016 everyone! Time flies!

And happy January to all. When I was a kid, January was the worst month ever. It was that month after Christmas when everything gets colder and colder and colder. Never ending frozen white wasteland. No Christmas to look forward to and we had already experienced two full months of winter, at least. All we were doing was keeping warm until February second when hopefully the groundhog wouldn’t see his shadow(even though we all knew that regardless, there was still three more months of winter). Once in a while January wouldn’t be so bad, those were the years that a new toboggan, skates or skis were my Christmas present.

This year is different. This year, I am embracing January. It is the first time in this “Cycle of the Seasons” that I am able to stop, relax, think, read, plan, draw (and erase and re-plan and re-draw) and feel like I have an unlimited amount of time to do so. It is a rich feeling to look at a the month ahead and say “We have nothing planned. No events. No festivities. No company. Nothing.” Time is a treasure that’s often hard to find.

I’ve been thinking about this idea of the “Cycle of the Seasons” and also the thought of needing to follow this cycle, to experience the ebb and flow of nature and enjoy what each season brings. Of course each season is not clearly defined, there’s a cross over of seasons in both nature and our experience here on our farm. But I would like to present the following ideas on our Cycle of Seasons.

Our Cycle begins sometime between mid-April and the beginning of May with Spring. It starts with the greening of the grass and the bright green buds appearing on the trees. It’s a time to work. It’s a time to dig holes and plant trees, to put up fencing, to dig and prep new gardens, to prepare for the arrival of any new animals, or perhaps to be caring for brand new babies of different species.

Spring continues through to the end of June when all the garden is planted and beginning to sprout, the trees are in full bloom, the animals are content in pastures and enjoying the freshness of a new year.

Summer. While this may not be technically accurate, I count summer from the beginning of July to mid September. School is done for the year. The garden and animals don’t need as much care, both are healthy and growing. It’s a time of nurturing. Tending the gardens and the trees, enjoying the first-fruits of the garden, laughing at the animals antics, stopping to smell the flowers in full bloom and watching the bees gather their nectar, and above all, spending time with the children. It’s time to head to the lakes to cool off, relaxing on the beach with a book while the children play in the water,  picnics outside, relaxing in the hammock under the shade of the trees, reading stories.

All too soon summer is over and Autumn is quickly upon us. A beautiful season but a short and busy one, autumn here is usually from mid-September almost to the end of October. Autumn is a time of harvest and preparation for Winter.  Any over-winter accommodations for the various animals need to be in good condition to withstand the bitter cold creeping in around and under doors and any other openings. And the harvest needs to be taken in and preserved. Everything takes so much time and effort some days you wonder how on earth you will get it all done, and yet, somehow it works, even though it may be a little late, running into November on warmer years to get everything finished.

November and December, in my mind, are their own season. A season of celebration. It really never seems to end at this time of year for us. Beginning with the fun of Halloween, then the thoughtfulness of Thanksgiving, followed by two birthdays and into the Advent season we go. Gift making, baking, friends and family fill December to the brim with events and fun. And then, just all of a sudden, New Years Day is finished and here we are, at the beginning of January as winter really sets in.

In nature, nothing happens in Winter on the outside. There’s no flurry of activity, no growth and flowers and beauty. In Winter everything happens on the inside, unseen. The roots of the trees dig deeper, the seeds are dormant, most of the animals are hidden away from the cold. We also have the opportunity to turn inward. Staying in the warmth of our home, we can focus on inner growth. Reading and research, self-education, bonding with the children, a lot of our book work of home school gets done in the cold winter months.  Spring, Summer and Fall are the practical seasons of doing and busy-ness. Now Winter is our time to regroup, assess the previous seasons, relax and rejuvenate and then plan for the coming seasons of 2016.

And so, once again, I wish you a Happy New Year, and a happy January. May your January be full of warmth, love and relaxation.