This is another prompt in the 30-day challenge, which I decided to undertake for the month of April. We always say that bad things always come in threes. So, perhaps good things always come in fours! Four seasons, four elements (Earth, wind, fire, and water). Those were the two that stuck out to me. On a side note, yes there are WAY more than four littles in the geese photo, but it is a fun summer photo that I took that I wanted to share.

Four seasons. Every outdoors man has their favorite. Some of us cannot choose a specific one, as we find beauty and fun in each of them, but in much different ways. While I am not a fan of winter, and tend to dread some things that come along with it, I do have to say it can be quite beautiful. Crucnhing snow under my feet, pine trees heavy with a fresh few inches, animal tracks in the snow that give me an idea of “who” has traveled this path before me. I had the opportunity to do a bit of wolf tracking while I was up north, and that is something I may get into again, if for no other reason than to strap on some snowshoes and get out and do something in the winter.

Fall has been my favorite season for many years. Hunting season, and the beauty of the trees as they change and prepare to hibernate for the long, cold winter make that so. Those things have always been close to my heart. I enjoy getting together with other hunters to talk about what they do, how they do it, and how their most recent hunt turned out. I love all of the stories. I also enjoy the fall harvest and attending farmers’ markets to talk to growers about their season.

Summer, of course, is a favorite, too. It means fishing tournaments and bon fires, grilling out and gardening. There are so many reasons I can say that I love summer. And, I suppose, all four of the elements I mentioned above, are part of those reasons. When I became an outdoor reporter, it gave me a strong reason to learn more about photography, and summer allows for being out and doing a lot of that – and I am always learning. In fact, I have a Great Courses course on photography going in the background as I write this. Shooting storms as they come in is exciting and fun, really. I have yet to get the lightning strike I would love to add to my photos, but summer is the best time to get those. I am also a storm spotter for NOAA, so getting those shots is not only interesting, but important, so I can look back and see what I reported, and what I photographed.

Summer. How much is going on in the summer? I love to be out on the water. But I also love to dedicate my time to water quality and things such as aquatic invasive species (AIS) management. I am now also looking into monitoring a stream or two near where I live in central Wisconsin. This week I attended the Lakes and Rivers Convention online and learned about a stream monitoring program into which I fully intend to get involved. Those who know me know I will also dedicate my small balcony garden to pollinators. I had a bit of success last year, and I look to build on that this year.

It is interesting, too, how a person feels about season can change over time. Spring, when I was a child, meant picking rocks out of a garden that was bigger than the house in which our family of four lived. It was a job I would not want to do again – but then the year came that I decided I was going to try out for Little League. My sister had an old wooden bat, and I took it over. I batted rocks for hours per day, out of the garden and as deep into the swamp as I could get them. Suddenly, picking rocks was not so bad. On a side note, I did make the majors in Little League during tryouts, but my best friend did not make it, so I played in the minors that year.

Summer, too, felt different as a child. I used to have pretty harsh reactions to mosquito bites. My doctor told me mom I was allergic to mosquito bites, but I have no idea if that was the case. But I did have a bad reaction to them. A mosquito bite on my forearm, for instance, would soon become a three-inch welt at least an inch tall. If I were to get bit too many times, I would get a fever and start to feel pretty horrible. My mom would make me stay inside until I felt better, which could be days. I do not remember how many years this went on, but I know I did eventually outgrow it – thankfully! Imagine how different my life would be!

What is your favorite season? Can you pick one? Or do they all have their draw for you?