Having lived the greater portion of my childhood on the west coast, I'm used to the seasons being marked by outdoor activities. Water skiing, snow skiing, cross country skiing, sledding, swimming, running, walking... basically just being outdoors year round. While I may not have participated in the greater majority of those outdoor sports, I did spend a lot of time out of doors. And enjoyed it.
A lot.
Missouri weather, St. Louis specifically, is more marked by staying indoors. It is celebrated by seasonal foods or cooking styles (grilling on hot days, crockpots on cold days) and pictures and dreams of doing outdoorsy things. This, thirty years later, remains culture shock to me. I want to be outside. And be able to enjoy it.
I remember my mother happy about moving to St. Louis because there are four distinct seasons. Well yes, indeed there are. Unlike Southern California that goes from summer to the rainy season or Oregon that blasts from winter into a few warm sunny months of summer, St. Louis does indeed have four distinct seasons. But like small towns on a map, you see the signs of spring and autumn coming up, but if you blink you'll miss them. Spring and especially autumn are extremely short seasons in this neck of the woods.
Spring is a tad longer, noted for intense thunderstorms and tornadoes. The ground thaws in March into a muddy, gloppy mess and then stirred up and flooded even further by torrential downpours of April and early May. Trees bud and flowers pop, but the days are few that one can actually get outside and enjoy the scenery. The pictures are fabulous and your feet are sopping wet.
The last remaining days of Spring bring out the sun, pleasant temperatures, luring us to venture into our yards to pull out the grilling equipment and plan for a glorious summer. And then comes summer. Summer begins in early June, weeks before the equinox. It brings humidity and heat indexes, forcing our bright red faces back indoors seeking comfort from air conditioning. It rages into September with July and August marked by record triple digit temps, insufferable humidity and occasional summer storms destroying the landscape. Vacations are scheduled to locations with A/C and waterparks.
Autumn is one of the most beautiful seasons in the St. Louis area. It comes with warm daytime temperatures and "brisk" evening temps. People flock to local wineries and home patios to sit outside and soak up the clear air. This is also the shortest of all seasons as it creeps in during the last week of September, usually on the heels of an unbearable late season heatwave, and whisks away before the end of October. Trees start to turn with their glorious colors of red, orange and yellow. Unfortunately the peak of the tree colors happens for a matter of two to three days and sometimes that happens smack dab in the middle of a rainy day. This is the small dot on the map that passes by before you know it.
Halloween is typically a drab and dreary day requiring heavy coats and a hat. Children's costumes have to fit over the bulk of winter clothing or be hidden under a parka. Trick or Treating is usually cut short by a persistent and very cold drizzle. Nearly two months before the true start of winter and we begin to experience wind chills requiring the windows to be shut and the furnace to kick on.
Thanksgiving arrives usually after the first snowfall of the year... well since Spring. Winter lasts from Halloween until St. Patricks Day. It's marked by blowing cold. You need gloves, scarves, heavy layers of clothing and still risk freezing to death when running from the front door to your car. Mornings are spent scraping ice off your windshield and bargaining with the car to start up in proper order.
Snow? It does not snow in St. Louis. Well, technically it does maybe one or two times, but it is usually accompanied by bitter bitter cold making it very undesirable to schlep your sled to a local hillside for a few hours of fun. You still manage to squeeze in a little sledding, usually down an ice laden hill, and within minutes begin contemplating returning home for that steaming hot cocoa (that burns the roof of your mouth).
So my mother gets her four seasons and I whine and complain. There are only stolen moments of outdoor fun in this region. Good thing I have computer games at my disposal. Some messageboard friends just turned me onto Bejeweled Blitz. And I hate them. And I WILL conquer this game. Might as well - IT'S RAINING AGAIN!
This morning was a tad brisk, but not as cold (it seemed) as a few weeks ago. That is when I took my last walk for two weeks, gained nine pounds and my entire body started aching. Great, now I NEED to walk. Freaking lovely. What am I going to do when it gets REALLY cold? I am such a whiny wimp.
Further down the path there were three trees actively dropping leaves. It was pretty cool. So on my snazzy new pocket camera I was able to capture a little video WITH sound. There is a lot of clicking sounds going on, that's the camera trying to auto focus, but over that you can hear the leaves detaching from the tree and falling to the ground.
Crater Lake - you will never regret making a trip to Crater Lake. It is so big and so beautiful. It also means a trip to Oregon and that is always a good idea!
The Grand Canyon... okay I've been in a pissy mood both times I've visited this fantastic location so I'm not sure if it's the excruciating drive there or what, but I'm glad I've been just the same.
The Gateway Arch... as a St. Louisan it's mandatory to make this visit, but really, it's cool. I love standing under it and looking up. 
The Redwoods
This was a small detour after leaving Crater Lake, I don't remember the name. A small picnic area and waterfall. I doubt it is even a state park, but glorious, simple and beautiful.
Multnomah Falls... this is possibly one of my most favorite places on the Earth. Again, in Oregon. Seriously, visit Oregon. It is beautiful.
I don't think I understand people who don't find pleasure in these places. Each park has its own beauty. Most bring a sense of awe, some allow you a chance to meditate, others simple pleasure. I hope I get to add many more parks to my resume.
My uncle, passed away in 1988 from a brain tumor. These two losses affected him profoundly. Despite that he continued to be a doting husband, father, grandfather and greatgrandfather.
