Seasons

There are four seasons in a year and three months in every season.

Spring, summer, autumn and winter are the four seasons. March, April and May are the spring months; June, July and August are the summer months; September, October and November are the autumn months; December, January and February are the winter months.

In spring the days become longer and the nights shorter. Bright spring sunshine melts snow in the fields and in the streets, and iced sheets on the rivers and lakes. It gets warmer. The temperature rises. Nature wakes up. Trees begin to bud and soon tiny green leaves appear. Meadows and valleys grow green again, flowers begin blooming. Forests are full of snowdrops and mercuries. It sometimes rains heavily, but spring rains are warm and pleasant. Though we often have thunderstorms in May, the weather is the finest. Fruit trees begin blossoming. Farmers till the soil and sow the seed. Meanwhile a new crop shoots up, and if there are no sharp frosts at night, nature looks full of promise, and wheat fields are bright because of blue cornflowers and red poppies. Spring flowers! Lilacs unfold their pale hearts. Wild daffodils shine in the sun – soft, slim, yellow, starry. Hyacinths almost get lost in the herbs; among them stand tulips – red bubbles of dark wine; yellow, more cup-like; large partly-colored gold and red, noble and sombre. Birds return from the south. Nightingales, swallows, cuckoos and other birds come back from Italy and Africa and build their nests singing their merry songs.

It’s no wonder that a lot of people prefer summer to any other season. In summer the days are the longest and the nights are the shortest. People spend their free time at the seaside and on river banks. They swim, bathe and lie in the sun. It is very warm and sometimes even hot. On some days the temperature rises to 30-35 degrees above zero Celsius. If heat gets too oppressive, we can go to the forest or to the mountains and pick mushrooms and berries, gather flowers, in short, rest well. There are plenty of berries, which are ripe and are good for the old and the young. The hot sun ripens wheat and fruit, and farmers get ready for the harvest. And what pleasure can compare with that of watching the glorious sunrise and sunset! Clouds? Rain? Well, well, it isn’t always cloudy, and there is no such a thing as perpetual rain.

At the beginning of autumn it is still warm and nice. Of course, there are some drawbacks. The days are shorter and the nights are longer, for instance. The weather also leaves much to be desired. November rains, fogs and mist, and sleet are not pleasant things. But is there anything more beautiful than Indian summer? There are a lot of apples, grapes, pears, apricots, plums, peaches and berries which get ripe and may be pickled. And for the sake of these we are ready to put up with some discomforts.

When autumn is over, winter sets in. The days are short and the nights are long. It is often cold and it sometimes freezes hard. Cold winds blow from the north. It often snows. The temperature is below zero, it may drop to 30 degrees below zero Celsius. There is much snow on the roads. It’s windy and frosty. It is the season of snowstorms, ice, frozen rivers and ponds, slippery streets. But those who adore winter don’t mind it at all. Just think of skating on the ice, or skiing in the countryside, and sledging. In snowy weather tobogganing is children’s favourite pastime. Winter has its own peculiar interest and beauty, and there is no reason to be bored to death when there are interesting books, movies, theatres and concerts. Of course, if winter is severe, one must take care not to get frost-bitten.

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