In the same way, winter is December, January and February, months marked by snow and cold; spring is March, April, and May, months marked by the first growth of various new plants and increasing but not solid heat; and fall is September, October, and November, months marked by the start of school, the end of summer heat, and declining foliage.

This has particularly struck me because I have small children. When Amelia says, "Is it summer yet?" on June 18, and the temperature is in the 90's and the greenery looks pretty much as it will for the next 3 months, I feel silly saying, "No, not yet". I also have always noticed how stupid it is for March to be part of Winter, June to be part of Spring, September to be part of summer, and December to be part of Fall. In the conventional reckoning, Christmas is just barely a winter holiday, and the Fourth of July is almost in the springtime!

My guess is that the conventional reckoning is wrong because of the very way it was defined. The days are long *before* June 21 as well as after precisely because June 21 is the longest, and so the entire month of June is hot. The days are short *before* December 21 as well as after precisely because December 21 is the shortest day, and so the entire month of December is cold. The days have been getting longer all the time from December to March, so by March 21, the day is as long as night, and March is warm.

So I think I will abandon the conventional reckoning. Does it make sense anywhere in the world? Probably not, by my reasoning of the previous paragraph.