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Tuesday, March 12, 2013

The Fifth Season



We don't have four seasons in Northern New England. We have five. The fifth season is called “Mud.” It's a real season. A whole winter's worth of snow begins to melt, add some rain, and we have mud season.

Unpaved roads are closed. Paved roads have load limits placed on them. The roads are are open have pot holes and huge frost heaves. I just had my exhaust system reattached. A neighbor had to replace all the shock absorbers on her car.

Mostly though, there is the mud, lots of it. Some of us have whole wardrobes that only come out at mud season. High rubber boots are essential for getting anything done around the house. Wear clothes that you aren't too fond of.

Even the local architecture reflects the season. Many houses, including mine, have a mud room. It's a transitional place between the outdoors and the house proper. It's where the mud wardrobe is deposited and house clothes and footwear put on. Ideally, there's a washer and dryer in there. A shower would be nice too. Mud rooms aren't so much cleaned as shoveled out.

Eventually all the snow's melted, the rain stops, and the sun does its magic. We leave mud season behind for a 10 day to 2 week period known as “Spring.” Some locals don't really belive in spring. They stick with the traditional four seasons: summer, fall, winter and mud.

-Sixbears

18 comments:

  1. We have four seasons, depending on road conditions: wet leaves, snow, mud, and construction.

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  2. I hate mud.The wife wanted a side walk from the cars to the poach i said someday.Now we need carpet should have done it now it will cost me 3 times as much.Mud and muck season sux. PS yard is 2 inchs under water, yea mud

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    Replies
    1. So you know exactly what I'm talking about.

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  3. I think a lot of folks in the eastern U.S. have that problem, especially if the soil froze deep.

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    1. The frost went deep here in northern NH this year. I know because I had to thaw out my water line.

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  4. How could you forget "Black Fly Season"?

    Bob

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  5. Six, Just the cost of living in paradise eh! :-)

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  6. Phyllis (N/W Jersey)March 12, 2013 at 5:53 AM

    Ah, mud! Slipped in it 2 weeks ago, fell and broke 3 ribs - I HATE mud!!

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    Replies
    1. At any rate, it seems to hate you. Get better soon!

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  7. I feel very lucky, I don't have mud. Why, you may ask? Well, two reasons, my land has a very gentle slope down to my swamp and the soil is very sandy.

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    Replies
    1. . . . and you get really nasty dry spells . . .

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  8. why not container it and sell it off as "majic mud" to the tourists?

    Wildflower

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  9. I think here the mud is more of a wet gumbo! When dry, it could serve as concrete!

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