I love the four seasons in Adirondack country. The changing of the seasons is part of my life and I could not imagine living anywhere else. That is why I have always lived in or near the Adirondacks. During my other life as an educator, I was offered good jobs in Boston, Washington D.C., Chicago and Florida. I resisted the temptation to leave the upstate New York country for a big-paying job in the city. One of the math consulting jobs offered more money than I ever made in my life but the Adirondacks won out.

There is something intriguing about the autumn season. Supper is over and the darkness is settling in. The shorter days are with us. House lights are coming on and sending their light out of the windows. I remember making the "trick-or-treat" rounds with the other valley kids after supper using our flashlights to get from one house to another in that rural area.

The smell of burning leaves told us that it was fall. Growing up in Northville provided the annual event of leaf disposal. Most of the Northville streets were lined with giant, leaf-producing maples. The leaves were raked by the residents and spread along the side of the streets. In the early evening, they were lit and the low-to-the-ground fires spread along the streets providing a special smell and light show unknown to today's fireless falls. The "controlled" burning of the leaves in Northville was an annual ritual and I never heard of any problem with it. Question: What produces more bad pollution, the smoke from the burning leaves or the exhaust from the leaf-removing equipment and the heavy trucks?

Winter requires coping but also offers some fun activities unavailable in the other seasons. Before the cold and snow arrived, the crops had to be harvested and preserved. The house had to be banked with hay or manure to keep out the cold. Firewood had to be cut and piled. And the long wool underwear was brought out of storage.

Cold, crisp nights riding the toboggan down a treeless slope was a thrill. Hay rides on an open sleigh, often concluded with cocoa and toast or popcorn, were part of our winter social life. Hours of hand sleigh riding, skiing and skating consumed the long winter days. The farm animals demanded more attention and care to get them through the winter. The cold and snow were accepted in whatever severity they arrived.

Spring always returns each year bringing the new life to the world around us. The frozen Adirondack waterways open up. The blanket of springtime greenery spreads over all. Plants and animals add to the crescendo of the new season. It was time to make kites and fly them in the spring breezes.

Springtime also was the time for fishing. We picked up the fishworms in the dark and found the hungry fish early in the morning. And they tasted so good. We often went to school early in the morning to allow time to shoot marbles. Springtime, with its new life and sunny rays of light, had a way of raising our spirits and getting us moving each day.

Summer was, and is, a gift. School is out and days of freedom lie ahead. I remember getting off the school bus after that shortened last day of school and heading for the woods, only to sit and to do nothing but think about the fun ahead. Outdoor sports and games, along with hiking and camping, filled our summer hours when the chores were done. And, of course, we were "waterlogged" from swimming in the Adirondack lakes.

Each season had, and has, its special offerings. Temperature, length of days and nights, plant growth, precipitation, winds, and sunshine vary with the seasons. What more could we ask for? The Adirondacks are high on the list of one of the best places to live in this great world.