We got into a discussion on this topic at work today and I thought it would make for a fun diary. As with everything, people have different preferences in terms of season. Hailing from the Upper Midwest, I get four very clearly defined seasons each year, and while I wouldn't want to part with any of them, I definitely have my favorites and not-so-favorites. Below the fold is my monthly pecking order....
- June....There's always been something about the month of June for me. Those early summer days are sweetest because it seems like the good times will never end, a feeling I enjoyed during my junior high school days when school dismissed for the year that I still feel today at age 31. Sunshine and warm temperatures finally start to occur with regularity while party killers like intense humidity and swarms of mosquitoes have yet to arrive. I plan all kinds of road trips and attend plenty of fairs and festivals in the summer, but those generally come in July and August. June gives me the chance to take in the early weeks of summer before the bourgeoning corn crop obstructs the Midwestern horizon and before my schedule is overflowing with summer events to attend.
- August....If June represents the building momentum of summer, August represents the crescendo. Every August, I attend several nights of my local county fair early in the month followed by visits to two different state fairs in the middle and end of the month. I also usually fit in a vacation in August that includes several days of driving. It's always a full month with some of my favorite days of the year, but at least here in the Upper Midwest, the days get shorter and the nights considerably cooler in the later weeks of the month, reminding me that the glory days of summer are coming to an end. Of course I'm aware that in other parts of the country, school begins in the second week of August. I sympathize with those in that predicament and was grateful I never missed out on enjoying the dog days of summer when I was growing up.
- July....Clearly summer is my favorite season, and July is obviously the heart of summer. It takes a pretty miserable heat and humidity level before I start complaining so usually even the best (or worst) of what July offers doesn't get to me. My leisure schedule in July isn't as tightly packed as that of August, but I nonetheless work in a couple weekend road trips and attend a few local festivals, often with old friends from the hometown.
- May....The weather quality in the month of May in my part of the country is very erratic year to year (I can remember a few Mays that were very disappointing with week upon week of gloomy gray skies that refused to part) but by and large May is a winner. Aside from the rebirth of nature (the first week of May is generally the week the trees blossom in the Upper Midwest), we typically wrap up my busiest and most oppressive weeks of the year at my job in the final week of April, making the turn of the calendar to May seem all the more like a new beginning.
- December....I have mixed feelings about the commercialization of Christmas. While I generally feel it has gone way overboard, it does help create an atmosphere to the month of December that is very unique and frequently enjoyable. There's a very cozy feeling to the shortened days (dark at 4:30 p.m.) and the typically snowy landscape. While the holidays are often an emotional letdown, I can't remember a December that I haven't enjoyed as a whole.
- October....Here's a month I have very mixed emotions about. I love the fall colors and usually go on drives through colorful Mississippi River bluff country at peak fall color season in October, patronizing the Amish vendors and the apple orchards. But especially for me as a boy, there was a huge downside to "fall colors" as I grew up on an acreage with over 100 oak trees and had to mulch the millions of fallen leaves every October on the lawn mower. It was a hellishly dirty job sitting on a cold lawn mower in 40-degree weather and often took three weeks to wrap up. While I usually lament the passing of summer, I've usually come to terms with the arrival of autumn in November. Furthermore, October is a month that really proves exciting during even-numbered years with the thrilling election seasons in their closing weeks.
- April....There are typically a few terrific days every April, but generally its a purgatory month here in the Midwest, chock full of gray skies and rain with only the promise of nicer days ahead. I like to see the days get longer and the temperatures slowly rising as April runs its course, but as I said before, April is typically a hellacious month at work. In the final week of April this year, I put in 86 hours. That kind of schedule tends to deromanticize one's feelings towards a given month.
- March....Like April, there tends to be a handful of really nice days in March here in the Upper Midwest, but by and large, one's hopes for the end of winter and almost always dealt a harsh setback in March. Many don't realize that, at least here in the Midwest, it's the snowiest month of the year. The snow tends to go away as quickly as it arrives, but most people in these parts have had it with winter in March, so the nearly annual 10+ inch snowfalls really start to drag one's spirit down. Still, the days are getting longer and there's a promise of better days ahead.
- January....Cold weather haters naturally detest January. I'm not a crazy fan, but it has its perks. It's a good month to be lazy, spend a lot of time indoors, do some reading, watch TV and movies. The intensity of winter is kind of fun to experience for some of us as well, even the shoveling of snow and scraping of windshields. Seeing that mercury drop to -20 gives a weird sense of pride to many of us native Minnesotans...at least to this one. Unfortunately, with the holiday season behind us, it's a long time before there's anything tangible to look forward to in January.
- November....I'm generally not a big fan of November. It's the gloomiest month of the year, at least here in the Midwest, and sometimes winter can get off to an early start long before it's welcome in the month of November. Thanksgiving has a certain charm to it, but nonelection year Novembers tend to be extremely drab for me. Of course, it's a different ballgame completely on election years. And after election night, I tend to spend the rest of my free time in November crunching election returns numbers from across the country, which is exciting to me if hardly anybody else on the planet.
- February....It might be the shortest month of the year on the calendar, but for the average person sick of winter, it seems to drag on forever. Those of us who can't seem to hang on to a significant other get an additional kick in the teeth every February with Valentine's Day. The one bright side for me in February is that I'm a big fan of the Winter Olympics, meaning there's something to look forward one out of every four Februaries. Thankfully, next year is one of them.
- September....I'm sure this is a controversial call as many love September, but for me September is the place where summer dies. The fact that the days get shorter and the weather tends to get colder and drearier as the month proceeds really gives me a feeling of going the wrong direction, particularly when contemplating that my favorite time of year is nine months away from returning. And even though I'm a decade removed from returning to the classroom in September, I continue to be stuck in that mindset as September in adulthood brings a huge, mundane busywork project at my job. The bright sides of the month: I usually enjoy sampling the early weeks of the new TV season (more so as a boy than today though) and on election years, the campaign season really starts to hit a flourish in September.
So how would your list compare to mine?