For me, “that time of year” is whatever is just beginning.  I love WINTER- the first snowfall… snowmen…. toasty warm fur lined boots, and hot steamy radiators.  Christmas lights shining in the darkness, warm mittens, hot chocolate, long icicles off the roof sparkling in the sunshine, and warm quilts to cuddle up in.

But just about when the snow turns to muddy black slush and I think that if one more snowflake falls I will personally impale myself on one of those icicles, a patch of green appears and the first snowdrops peak out of the ground.  SPRING!!   Just in time!!!   The first robins appear;  crocus, tulips, hyacinths all show their faces, Spring rain replaces those damn snowflakes …. the lilacs fill the air with their beautiful fragrance.  Even the forsythia heralding the return of allergy season is not enough to dim my excitement!  I hop around as happy as the Easter bunny – and it takes a while for the sneezing, watery eyes, and muddy dogs to wear me down.

At some point, I begin haunting the garden centers and planning out my vegetable and flower gardens…. and I am champing at the bit for it to be warm enough to plant.   When I can’t hold back another second, SUMMER arrives in all its glory!!   Turning the soil, planting those seedlings, staking tomato plants, feeding the roses.  The heat of the sun makes me move a little slower – but that’s okay, it’s summer – time to relax!   Even mowing the crabgrass that I pass off as “lawn” is okay – it just become a matter of timing – mow early before it gets too hot – or later when it cools down.  The bees are lazily flying from blossom to blossom, and I’m lazily moseying from lawn chair to barbecue grill to air conditioning.  Lovely time of year.

Let’s face it.  There really isn’t any point at which I get tired of summer.  What is there to get tired of??  Too much sunshine?   Too many flowers?  Too much good weather??  Please.  It’s a constant source of joy!

However Summer ends of it’s own accord – whether we like it or not.  School begins for the children.  The days start getting a little shorter.  And Autumn arrives.

That’s where I am now.  The air is getting a little cooler – at night it’s good sleeping weather!  I am anticipating a few weeks from now when the air is crisp – the dry, cool bite in the breeze – still the warmth of sun, but with the promise of the winter that is yet to come.   It just makes you want to bite into an apple!   The Pumpkins and the gourds are out ….. the Indian corn is ready to be hung on the door.  Fall is here!

I am lucky to live in the Hudson Valley where we embrace our “Fallness” wholeheartedly.  We are minutes from the home of Washington Irving, and the village of Sleepy Hollow.    This whole area comes alive now with The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze at Van Cortlandt Manor, Horseman’s Hollow at Philipsburg Manor, Apple and Pumpkin picking all over the county, Tours of the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.  Ichabod Crane doesn’t stand a chance around here, as the Headless Horseman rides again!

At this point I begin craving something else too….  my holiday lineup of cartoons.  “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” is first on my itinerary… Linus and Sally are waiting in the pumpkin patch, and I need to go join them.  I also have to sneak along the battle lines with Snoopy after his Sopwith Camel is shot down by the Red Baron behind enemy lines.  Afterwards, I’ll need to go visit “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and watch Ichabod attempt to court Katrina Van Tassel, until that fateful night he meets the Headless Horseman in the race for the bridge!

I’m ready for it!   I’ve dusted off the giant black spider and the inflatable pirate ship for the front of my home.  I have my favorite pumpkin pie recipe in hand.  I’ve begun shopping for the dogs’ Halloween costumes.  (I tried costumes on the cats one year…… have you ever heard the expression about fur flying?…. yup….not doing that again…..hopefully my scars will heal eventually……)

From here on in it’s a smooth slide till year’s end.   Halloween…… Thanksgiving…..Christmas….. one great holiday accompanied by great cartoons after another!   I’ll be loving every minute of it!

Until…..that muddy black slush that is awaiting me in February/March……