My home in California was in the desert and there were only two season - mild (winter) and hot (summer). It was very dry and hot during summer with temps reaching 100s. Even though it was a "dry heat", it was hot! There were few rain showers in the winter. December gave no guarantee from the heat. I remember several Christmases spent indoors with the A/C going. Everywhere you looked, you saw brown - the hills, the sky, the roads. Flowers and trees gave much needed color but never seemed to last. The one constant were the palm trees. They never changed except in height.
In Washington, winter was cold but a good jacket and warm boots usually got me through it. We never got more snow than we could handle but always enough to enjoy. Yes, it rains there. A lot. But the payoff came in spring when flowers were in bloom from February through October. Everything imaginable comes to life as if with the flip of a switch. Summer was probably the best season, minus about a week's worth of really hot days. Homes didn't usually have A/C as the heat was always tolerable. Ceiling and window fans were enough to get me through the worst days. Fall was postcard worthy. Autumn colors in Washington rivaled any East Coast town and you could literally watch your garden go to sleep ahead of winter.
From what I've seen so far, SD is very different from either state. 2015's winter was "mild" compared to previous winters which are known for long stretches of sub zero temps and many feet of snow. Still, it was very cold. Fields had been harvested and turned brown for the season. But there is a very distinct shift when spring hits. As if out of nowhere, grass came back to life and was knee high before my first allergic sneeze. I am amazed at how lush the farm has become in only a matter of weeks. Farm equipment is brought out of storage as farmers prepare for planting. Jack rabbits, coyotes, skunks, badgers and even toads come out of hiding and are busy doing what they do. We've had several lightning storms that are beyond description. I have never seen a lightning bolt crack the sky like they do here. A town 70 miles away can be seen clearly during a storm. Its crazy. Over the past few weeks, though, we've had some really nice days with temps in the 70s. The morning sky is a beautiful blue and the warmth feels like you're sitting outside wrapped up in a favorite blanket. I look forward to more days like these so I can be outside and work in the garden. I know there are more ahead and I'm so ready for them.
