The Four Seasons of Indiana and Ruth J. Hartman

I’ve lived in Indiana my whole life. Different cities for different phases of my life, but always in the central to eastern area. Our little town is perched on the very edge of the state, teetering precariously, ready to topple into Ohio with a very strong wind.

I live out in the country surrounded by cornfields, deer and the wild cats I feed every day, who live in our shed. With an acre of land, we have a little bit of privacy, but neighbors are close enough if we feel the need to talk to someone besides each other.

When we’re out in the yard, we wave at passersby, most of whom are driving pick-up trucks, whether we know them or not. If my husband and I are taking a walk, our hands go up in greeting to any vehicle that drives by. We don’t even think about it. It’s a reflex, like Pavlov’s dog. That’s not a bad thing, though. I’m convinced the world will never see enough kindness, so we need to do our part.

 

If you love having all four seasons, then Indiana is for you. This winter, an especially tough one brought more snow and icy temperatures than Hoosiers had seen since the late 1970’s. Several feet of snow, frozen pipes and power outages became the norm.

Last summer was a scorcher with lots of sun and highs in the 90’s, which was great for our huge garden and fruit trees, but hard on those of us who wilt when the humidity reduces us to steamy puddles.

Give me fall, with leaves of red, orange and gold beneath a deep blue sky and cooler temperatures. Or spring, which will be especially treasured this year, as we look forward to a much-needed thaw.

Sure, everybody complained about this year’s winter, but how much sweeter will it be when spring finally does show up? I think we’ll appreciate the purple crocuses and yellow daffodils even more than most years. And even those are eclipsed by the birds. Lately I’ve noticed more robins and fat Carolina wrens hanging around. They always seem to sense spring before we do.

And when the goldfinches turn from brownish gold to bright yellow, we’ll know the birds were right. Spring is finally here.

Ruth J. Hartman lives with her husband of 31 years and their three spoiled indoor cats.  Her newest, The Unwanted Earl, releases this month. Visit her website, www.ruthjhartman.blogspot.com for news about her romance novels, memoir and children’s book.
(All pictures provided by author)