Seasons

You want to know one of the reasons I think living in Virginia is great?  It is that we get to experience all four seasons.  Not that other places don't but I feel like we get to enjoy the entirety of each season.

In the summer it is hot, and humid but bearable because fall is just a few months away.  In our region we have rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, and the ocean only a few short hours away (unless there is an accident on 64).  Summer in Fredericksburg is full of long sunny days, the occasional thunderstorm, and even more rare the impact of a hurricane.  We have outdoor concerts, water parks, and amusement parks nearby, our population increases with the tourist season as does the traffic, but that can also be enjoyed if we simply see this time as an opportunity to show off our town.  The mountains are close enough for day hikes to Old Rag, or White Oak Canyon, or overnight camping (just be sure to bring plenty of bug repellent).  For history buff we have revolutionary war, to civil war, to civil rights right here.  Up the road there is our nationals capital.  This is a great place to live.  Summer is also a great time to thin the canopy's of large mature trees to reduce the chances of wind damage to the tree and to any nearby structures.  Or removing trees that have been damaged, infected by disease, or are a potential hazard.

Fall is beautiful with the changing of the colors of the leaves.  Taking a day to drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway to look at all of the colors of fall is amazing; Be sure to bring a picnic lunch to have at one of the scenic views, and always have your camera so you can post those amazing pictures to Facebook, Twitter , or Instagram.  Making mountains of leaves for children to jump and play in is great fun.  Fall is a time to prepare gardens for the winter, gathering firewood for those cold winter days or for many as a primary heating source.  Visiting state and national parks this time of year can be a great experience and a wonderful way to enjoy the crisp air.  Bonfires, family camping, apple festivals, and football are favorites of my family.  Enjoying the Friday night lights of a high school football game, watching our favorite college play on Saturday, and, well, trying to be hopeful of a turn around season for the Washington Redskins on Sundays are part of our fall traditions.  Watching the sunrise from a tree stand hoping that summer preparations and scouting will pay off with the harvesting of a White Tailed Deer.  It's also a great time to trim trees, getting rid of damaged branches, reshaping trees, and inspecting trees for potential winter issues.

Winter in our area is unpredictable.  There are years were we get little to no snow and the temps are mild.  Other winters however can be bitterly cold and snow that is measured in feet not inches, although this is very rare.  Most winter have a mix of mild days and cold days, cold rains, freezing rains, and some snow.  Days where many go to work when it's dark and come home when its dark.  Staying inside sitting by the fire playing card games, board games, going to a Washington Capitals Hockey game, a Wizards game, or watching American Idol helps to pass the long winter nights.  If we are lucky we get enough snow to sled in our backyards, build snowmen, have snowball fights, dig tunnels, and make snow forts.  For some, like Goodfellers Tree & Excavating, it means working in a truck pushing snow for long hours, using a snow shovel to clear sidewalks, and spreading sand and salt on roads and parking lots (oh and there is the mass consumption of coffee).  With all of the leaves off of the trees it is also a great time to have an arborist inspect your mature trees for rot,  weather damage, disease, insect damage, or other potential hazards.

Ahh Spring!  A time for planting, cleaning and airing out of homes, making repairs caused from the winter, and enjoying the warmer temps.  Spring is a time to organize, repair, and maintain yard tools. It's a time to spread fertilizer and prepare for the annual war against weeds that infiltrate lawns and gardens.  We are blessed to have several incredible zoos nearby in Richmond, and in D.C. to visit and see any of the newborn animals.  It's a time for baseball.  We have a local college team, club teams, Semi-pro teams in Richmond (The Flying Squirrels), just north of here we have the Potomac Cannons and just a bit further north the Washington Nationals.  Spring is also a great time to have Goodfellers Tree & Excavating out to complete any work you need done to trees on your property.

We live in a great town and are blessed to be in a region where we can truly enjoy each season and all that Fredericksburg and Virginia have to offer.