liminal seasons

[arguchik]

i don't have anything earth-shattering to say today, except for this random bit: i have decided that autumn and spring are my favorite seasons, because they are liminal or transitional. spring is winter becoming summer; autumn is summer becoming winter; winter and summer are the extremes, the inflection points where the temperature and day-length curves (when plotted as a function of time) change in slope from + to - or from - to +. (i've been fascinated by inflection points since i first learned how to solve for them in first-year calculus.) by contrast, if you were to plot the rate of change (i.e. plot the slope of either of the aforementioned curves as a function of time), then the inflection points would occur during spring or autumn. this is not a big revelation or anything...it's kind of contained within our definitions of the seasons...but it's still fun to shift among the various representational frameworks we can use to express the concept of seasons and annual cycles.

i'm not sure which i prefer, though, autumn or spring. fortunately, i am of the mindset that when it's autumn, i prefer autumn; and when it's spring, i prefer spring--which is better (imo) than preferring spring in autumn and autumn in spring. this is arguable, of course. is it better to prefer where you are, or to yearn for what's to come (or what's past)? i couldn't say. i also wouldn't want to oversimplify.

this doesn't mean that i dislike either summer or winter, though. au contraire, i enjoy them both very much. i just happen to prefer milder weather, along with the aesthetics associated with the botanical transformations of budding and senescence (as contrasted to and alternating with full bloom and dormancy).

that's all. carry on.

Comments

[malafrena.livejournal.com]

I have been particularly enjoying this autumn shift. For some reason, it was more obvious than usual. Monday, the house got this cosy familiar smell it has when we return for vacation and haven't turned the furnace on yet. I just wanted to curl up with a warm blanket and a good book. Tuesday, I got into bed at eight and just enjoyed hunkering down. Today, I got hot chocolate with the kids. We're moving into the season for shutting down and resting, which I love to do.

[arguchik.livejournal.com]

mmmmm. hot chocolate.

yeah, this year's shift into autumn has been more pronounced. in michigan too. it was summer the day i arrived, and within a couple of days it just wasn't anymore. (it actually reminded me of vermont, where the season changes are very pronounced.) i wonder why it feels so different this year?

how are your kids doing with it? maybe that has something to do with what you posted about oliver the other day, how he's suddenly gone back to having "crazy spells." (the friends whom chris and i are helping with their move to portland this weekend call it "wombatting," when their dog has a spell like that. it's like..."oh no, i've got tons of excess energy i must burn off right now right now right now!!!" and all you can do is wait it out. funny, but i think i wombat sometimes, too...)

[(Anonymous)]

"the inflection points where the temperature and day-length curves (when plotted as a function of time) change in slope from + to - or from - to +. (i've been fascinated by inflection points since i first learned how to solve for them in first-year calculus.) by contrast, . . . this is not a big revelation or anything"

Oh, what the hell EVER!!! *sticks out tongue* Math. Give me a migraine already! Heh.

I'm a sucker for fall, personally. =o)

[(Anonymous)]

In case the issue of "math dislike" didn't tip you off -- the last note was Kelli. I keep forgetting to sign!! Eeeesh.

[arguchik.livejournal.com]

LOL--it's ok, i knew it was you. you're pretty much the only person who ever comments anonymously. plus you signed with a ferd. :-)