h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

One of the things I like most about my region is that we have four distinct seasons. Having lived in South Texas for many years, I probably appreciate the change of seasons more than I would have done if I hadn't moved away then returned.

Each season has its attraction, but I have always preferred autumn over the others. Our summers here are normally very hot and dry. It's always such a relief when the heat finally breaks and we are treated to mild sunny days and cool nights.

I love the autumn colors, especially the distinctive gold of the sassafrass and the deep red of the sumac. I love the smell of burning leaves and brush piles. I eagerly anticipate the sounds of the Canadian geese and pintails as they fly overhead. Since global warming has taken hold, we have flocks of Canadian geese that winter here.

Then there are the traditional autumn foods hitting the farmer's markets. Winter squashes of all varieties, pumpkins, turnips, parsnips and sprouts, kale and other winter greens, peas, green tomatoes and the last of the peppers. And one can't forget the local apples, left on the trees until truly ripe, giving them a fabulous flavor. Everywhere you go there is the scent of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

Autumn also brings annual festivals, parades, and high school football. The latter is a religion in my town and in hundreds of small cities across the country. I'm always pleased for the kids when we win, which is most of the time. We just won our conference championship for the 12th straight year and have won the state crown more often than any other school in our class. Like I said, I'm pleased for the kids and the fans, but I wish as much importance was placed on other activities and sports. Football is king. The other programs get very little funding or attention. I don't anticipate that changing any time soon.

Indeed, autumn is also my favourite season. For all of it's colours, refreshing winds and weathers, and nature beginning to take a well-deserved rest. Hence the major portion of my tattoo, in fact ...

The down side is the pollen that makes it hard for my eyes to focus.

Its not so much the changing weather and leaves etc for me, its how my shopping changes too. I start stocking up on soups, stews and hotpots ready for the cold, dark nights. (and days sometimes )

Many thanks for that Hypatia - I love the way you describe your area of the world; it certainly stirred my imagination and made me visualise just how it may look if I were lucky-enough to ever visit.

I'm wih you on the four seasons (the, ermm, seasons - not the hotel chain).

Autumn probably is my close to shared first but second best. Spring here beats all. Hands down.

Yeah, spring is da thing, mon! Even though that is the most allergy trigging season for me.

Although for the last few years, the seasons have been a bit ed up - two years in a row, we didn't have much of a spring but went almost straight from a born-again-winter into summer.

And some winters... ...aren't even worthy of being called winters - no snow, temperature above freezing...

Sassafras and sumac sound so exotic to me. Here we have the, err, brown of the plane trees and, err, brown of the beech trees and oooh! oooh! the birches are yellow! Look! Colour!