I was a southern girl, and when I arrived in Michigan in early August I thought this place is beautiful. The weather was perfect, in comparison with that of the sweltering Alabama heat. The days were just hot enough to wear the short shorts that were so popular at that time, and the nights were the sitting out on porches weather.
When the sun started going down some evenings you would need a light sweater, and I thought this is heaven. In Alabama it never cooled off at night, if anything it became hotter. Hanging out at Belle Isle Park was too good to be true, the smell of the freshly cut grass, newly planted flowers throughout the park, and the view of the Detroit River in its entire splendor was absolutely mind blowing, and I wanted to stay there forever. I can remember the sunsets, as if you could touch the sun as it was going to sleep over the water blanketed in the beautiful red sky.
As summer faded and fall came I felt as though I had stepped into a movie scene, the trees lit up as if someone had painted each by hand. Fall in Michigan is the time of year that brings everyone out for outdoor activities. There is so much to do and see, and the weather in the fall just knows how to cooperate.
We would take long rides to places like the horse ranches, which were located on twenty-six mile road. The scenery in Michigan in the fall is breathtaking, and the country roads displayed the trees that seemed to dance to the beat of the fall weather, with all of the orange, reds, and browns creating fairy tale imagery.
As the fall and all her Michigan splendor took a back seat to winter, there was a hurried change in the way people moved about. I felt the need for that heavy winter coat, which I thought I would never wear in the south. I went to sleep one night and woke up to several inches of the most beautiful white snow. I had never seen more than a few flurries of snow, and I fell in love with Michigan. There were high peaks of the white fluffy stuff, and it covered trees and bushes to create post card like scenes. I called my mother in Alabama, and I told her that the snow was so beautiful. I laid down in it and learned to make snow angels. Mind you I was an adult woman, but it made be feel like a child again, and I felt as though Christmas had come early.
I would sit by the window and watch the big flakes of snow fall to the ground, and I never wanted it to go away. There is something enchanting about sitting by a fire wrapped in a blanket, as the snow falls outside. Michigan is majestic, with all the peaks and valleys to prove it. I still love watching the snow fall and sometimes as I walk to my car or stand in the doorway I feel a renewed love for Michigan.
There is no place that has the seasons that can win your heart like Michigan, just stick around and it will win you over. Thirty years ago it won my heart, so don’t be surprised if you wake up in love, with Michigan the beautiful.
