The Story of Winter

Once upon a time Winter and I were arch enemies.

As August rolled into September I would beg and plead for Summer to stay and hang around, for we were the very best of friends.

Alas every year, I had to say goodbye to my dear friend Summer with sadness and great anticipation for the good times we would share the following year. Our time always seemed much much to brief and moved much much too quickly.

My dear friend Summer saw my anguish every year and every year tried to ease my pain by bringing around Fall, hoping somehow to fill the hole in my heart. Now, don't get me wrong, Fall and I were congenial acquaintances, but somehow the longing for Summer never seemed to diminish.

Especially when Fall brought Winter to town. Winter and I have always had a frosty relationship. It seemed as though Winter delighted in my pain. With each passing year, he brought more cold and snow than the year before.

And I, being not a little stubborn (errr....determined) would defiantly wear my flip flops, snow and all. My way of snubbing my nose at Winter. A small act of rebellion, yes.

But somehow it was my ensign to the world that Winter didn't ALWAYS get to win!

And then...I decided that somehow someway Winter and I needed to patch up our differences. Life is just too short for enemies. So, I moved to Arizona and thought, maybe we could start off gradually. We made a deal...I agreed to endure 2 or 3 weeks of sub 50s weather in exchange for 49 weeks of flip flop wearing/tennis playing/rollerblading/swimming worthy sunshine.

And we've become the best of friends that Winter and I.

We didn't need gradual.

Mostly because Arizona Winter and my dear friend Summer are not so unalike after all.

(It's funny how much more popular Arizona Winter is than Ontario, Oregon Winter. Mostly because Ontario, Oregon Winter is the wicked stepsister to our lovely Arizona Winter. Nothing but perks for us! We love when friends come to visit!)