March and November are my least favorite months of the year. March is totally unpredictable as to its weather; it can be cold, snowy, windy, rainy, and generally unpleasant.

One year when I lived in Stevenson, March produced a spell of July weather. It was hard to believe – people strolled around in shorts and tank tops, and even went to the area beaches to sit in the sun. There were no leaves on the trees and even the old timers I knew shook their heads and proclaimed, “We’ll pay for this.” We did, with about three inches of snow a few days later.

April is welcome – come showers or sun. The garden “itch” catches up with many of us, and even though it’s too early for general planting projects, it isn’t too early to prepare the ground, and to clean up all unwanted litters from last year.

I find no fault with May, except it isn’t long enough! Summer is firmly established and the first of many outdoor activities are about to surface. Clean the grill! Polish the griddle! Get extra baking potatoes and foil to wrap them in. Stock up on charcoal, unless you have left the world of hickory smoke and red coals for toasting marshmallows, and you’ll need to be sure you have a full gas container. It is finally picnic time again!

Nobody could not love June. We check every day for native strawberries – the most important part of the month, for me. Glass jars are clean and await the first batch of strawberry jam. We hunt for just the right and appropriate graduation cards. We attend parties and we finally put away all the winter clothing. And June has a certain kind of sadness. Graduates shed tears amid smiles as they suddenly realize graduation will bring a touch of uncertainty about the future and the good-byes that no one can say with any ease. Chapters of life close: there are doors that close forever and some that open, too. One of the shortest months of the year is one of the happiest and most burdensome.

July! The month when there are more reasons and needs and desires to be outdoors than any other. Vacations begin. Farmers are still cutting hay to stock cattle lofts or horse barns. Swimming is for almost everyone. We have guests who come from far off places and there are parades and carnivals and craft shows and flea markets to go to. Outdoor concerts bring folks together for enjoyment and relaxation. July is usually a happy time.

August is summer winding down; shopping for school clothes has to be sandwiched between visiting grandparents and going to the last summer playhouse production. Summer is still around – but its sparkle fades.

September is the first month we start to put away summer and get out autumn. It can still bring heat waves and sometimes a brief Indian summer. We hurry to can the last batches of pickles and jams, and in many forms, preserve every last ripe, red tomato we can harvest. This is also a month of glorious fall flowers and a goodbye to the hummingbirds, and another of our favorite summer birds, “Chippy,” is very busy stocking his underground pantry, an activity that continues on into October. It puts big yellow school buses on the road and children into classrooms. And we have to put away bathing suits and summer clothing.

October is almost my favorite month; it’s a tie with December for me. I love the changing foliage and the migration of wildlife that is nature’s entertainment. I like to make big pots of grandma’s baked beans and the homemade soups that we need to properly enjoy fall. And apples and grapes and digging some turnips and the last of the garden’s potatoes. Columbus Day and a weekend to get away one last time. It brings Halloween, and sometimes a very brief snow shower, to warn of what is next.

November completes the harvest. We put away summer furniture and prepare for Thanksgiving by saving the best of the harvest for family get-togethers.

November often has gray days and bleak weather. I always feel solemn as I watch shows honoring Veterans from all of our conflicts. “America The Beautiful,” “Battle Hymn of the Public,” and “God Bless America” give us pause to remember who we are and where we came from, as winter closes in.

December is many things to many folks. I love the lights, the decorations and my own Christmas tree. But all of the month seems to be filled with special things – friends to visit; children’s programs and musical events; finding the perfect gift for someone; cards to exchange with friends of over half a century. December takes us to the brink of another year – another winter such as we are now ending. ’Nuf said – who wants to think about it!!

Last week the words at the end of the column were, surprisingly, by Emily Dickinson.

Who said, “Only with winter – patience can we bring the deep desired long awaited spring”?