AUTUMN

“Howdy do, Autumn!”

“Hey, Summer. How was your shift?”

“Ah, you know. Same ol’, same ol’. Lazy days of summer. Kids at the beach. Families in the mountains. People doin’ dumb stuff all over. Sunburns. Mosquito bites. The whole gamut.” Summer asked, “How about you? Did you get lots of rest? No responsibilities for nearly three whole months.”

“Yeah. It was nice. But it’s always nice to get back to work after a rest. Not like you though. Always working. Down south, then the equator, then up north, then the equator, then down south again. I don’t know how you do it. You and winter.”

Summer sighed. “Yeah. Such is our lot in life. Winter and me. We’ve got to do our thing. While you and Spring…”

“Hey! It’s a tough life. On three months, off three months, on three months, off three months. Well, you know…” Autumn added, “Plus, we need to sneak around going off shift and coming on. You know, throwing those rainy days in during those last days of summer can be tough. People think I’m coming, then bam! You keep hanging around.”

Summer laughed. “I know what you mean. But people are funny. They say they love you, but they always hate to see me go.”

“Yeah. I know what you mean. Those humans are so wishy washy. Their emotions go in and out like the tide.”

“Right. And it is a good thing we have those tides too.”

Autumn agreed. “Right you are. It’s a good thing Moon is on the job or we wouldn’t have jobs at all. Wouldn’t that be sad!”

“Yep. Good ol’ sun and moon. They give us all the push and pull we need to do our jobs. Ain’t it grand?”

“Amen to that. Amen to that,” Autumn agreed. “Anything else I should know about before you head off to the equator?”

“Nah. I’m just gonna give ‘em a blast of sunshine here for a couple more days while you settle in. You can hang out over the coast lines for a while and stir things up a bit. Might be fun to give ‘em a blast of nasty weather soon. Wouldn’t that make ‘em scream?”

“You know it Summer. We’ll see if we can’t give them the ol’ tag team for a couple days on your way out.”

***

**WINTER “Winter! It’s great to see you. How was the south?” “It was okay. You know Summer and I have a little dance near the equator for just a quick meet and greet while you and Spring head out for vacation.” Autumn laughed. “Yeah. It sure seems like you make quite the fuss doing that. Kicking up storms along the way. Before monsoon and hurricane season just to give everybody a taste.” Winter sighed. “Yeah. But unlike you and Spring, I don’t have tons of fans.” “Oh sure you do. Just because some people don’t like the dark nights and short days doesn’t mean that they don’t like you, per se.” Autumn paused. “I’m waiting.” “For what?” “For the other shoe to drop.” Autumn deadpanned, “I don’t have any shoes.” Winter waited. “Okay. Even though the skiers and the sledders and the other snow people like you, doesn’t mean anybody else does. But I still like you.” Winter scoffed. “Yeah, well you only like me because you get a three month vacation.” “Well…” “Right.” Winter asked, “Anything to report?” “Nah. Moon obviously likes when you’re here. She gets to push the waves around more. And I think Sun is jealous here in the north during winter.” “Sun does not get jealous. Only people do that. And Moon does not like to push the seas around. It is just what she does.” “Boy. You’ve got no sense of humor. Just like the people who hate the dark. No sense of humor at all.” “Enjoy your time off.” “Thanks. Enjoy the darkness.” *

SPRING

“Yo, Winter. Your time’s almost up. I can’t believe you sent that big storm over that huge of an area!”

“What are you talking about. It’s because you and Moon snuck up on me. As the humans say, ‘I about peed my pants.’ Except that I don’t have pee or pants. Still, you scared that huge storm out of me. What are you thinking sending those winds as a vanguard? Especially during such a high tide. Those storms are crazy.”

Spring agreed, “Yeah. I suppose that I did not need to announce my coming in such a dramatic way. I guess I’ve learned too much from the human race.”

“I know what you mean. You used to not have any ego. You’d just show up. Give your mild weather and get people ready for Summer. You rarely sent those winds to get me riled up.”

“Yeah, well, I felt a bit saucy this year.”

“Too much vacation.”

“Maybe. But I’m not my own creator. And you’re not my keeper.”

Winter scoffed. “Be that as it may, you still don’t need to sneak up on me like that.”

“Sorry, oh sister of mine.” Spring asked, “Anything to report?”

“No. Just that your arrival is coming none too soon for many people. They have been moaning my presence for weeks now. And apparently those Americans are sore because their precious Punxsutawney Phil was right when he said you’d be late.”

“Well, better Nate than lever, you know.”

Winter laughed. “I can’t believe you’re still telling that lame joke.”

Spring laughed too. “Well, you keep laughing.”

“Goodbye brother of mine.”

“Goodbye sister of mine.”

***

**SUMMER**

“Hidey ho, Spring.”

“Yo! Bro! How was the equator.”

“Hot.”

“As usual.”

“As usual,” Summer agreed.

“And now it’s your turn to make it hotter here.”

“Right as rain.”

Spring whispered, “Don’t mention rain.”

Summer whispered back, “Okay. Whatever you say.”

“Yeah,” Spring thundered. “People are mighty jumpy with some of these late storms. They’re ready for straight sunshine. They’re ready for picnics and sunburns.”

“People are pretty dumb sometimes.”

“Sometimes?! Wars and rumors of wars. They make their own problems and then blame it on our family. Like we control the weather!”

Summer deadpanned, “We are the weather.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Yeah.”

Neither Summer nor Spring said a thing for a while.

“Well, I guess it’s time for your vacation now, huh?”

“Yeah.” Spring paused. “You ever wonder if we’ll ever stop this little family dance?”

“Ours is not to reason why.”

“Yeah. I guess we all have our jobs to do.”

Summer agreed, “Amen and amen.”

“See you next year brother. At the changing of the guard.”

Summer thundered, “See you next year.”