When we made the decision to move to North Carolina we didn’t give much thought to the climate. We were more concerned about housing, coordinating the move, finding health care, changing banks and so forth.

Then one day former RCP Publications Publisher Jeff Findley said to me you’ll enjoy the four seasons up there.  What did he mean? We had four seasons in South Georgia, or at least I thought we did.

South Georgia has spring, which lasts about two weeks, then came summer, a season that consumed most of the year… usually from March thru December. The summers were long, hot and most the time they were extremely dry.  Fall lasted another two weeks and finally we had what we referenced as Winter. Winter in South Georgia only lingered a couple of months, but really it was more like fall here. The winter temperatures rarely dropped below freezing and if it did it was usually back in the 60’s by midday.

Last week as I was out on a walk, enjoying a beautiful spring evening, I began to wonder what actually causes the four seasons. Allowing my mind rewind I thought of an eighth grade science class where we had studied the four seasons, but for some reason I couldn’t recall the answer. So, as any good American would do I got on my computer and researched the question. According to ask.com, we experience four seasons because of the tilt of the earth on its axis. It causes different parts of the earth to be nearer to, or further away from the sun.

We arrived here in Ahoskie in December; it was in the dead of winter. It was cold or at least it was to us. However, as we talked to co-workers and neighbors we found quickly, by the standards here, this was a very mild winter.

Spring has been wonderful, mild to warm days, beautiful flowers, with pleasant nights that do not required air-conditioning. If I could have one wish it would be for spring to last all year.

I understand the summers can be brutal here, with temperatures soaring at or near three digits and humidity as high as the top of a church steeple. At least the summer will not last as long as we are accustomed to. I’m sure the hot summer will make everyone ready for fall.

I hear the fall season is another beautiful time of the year here. We can’t wait to see the leaves changing and I’m sure by then we will be ready for the mild days and nights again. I think the fall season will be very enjoyable, getting one’s body acclimated for the upcoming winter.

As we are experience each change of the season it’s like a new adventure, one that we are enjoying, and one that with each turn of the calendar brings a new experience for me and my family.

 

Joe Cowart is Publisher of Roanoke-Chowan Publications. He can be contacted at joe.cowart@r-cnews.com or 252-332-7218.