N2

Spring is easily one of my favorite seasons. Spring, unlike summer, fall, and winter is full of life and energy. I love the smell of the air and the sound of the birds chirping more than anything. After a long cold winter in western New York, spring is always gladly welcomed by all. Also, spring is the time of year when the NHL playoffs start, which I am an avid fan of. I really became particularly fond of the spring season back in the spring of 2006 when the Sabres came within one game of reaching the Stanley cup finals. But besides the NHL playoffs, there are so many other things about spring that I like. Spring is the season when my friends and I really get into playing street hockey. Ever since about 6^th grade, every sunny spring day in Alden has been spent at the Alden town park playing hockey with my friends. It seems as the games get tighter down the stretch run of the regular season and into the playoffs, the more intense our games of hockey seem to get.  However, with all of the good, there is always some bad. Spring weather is a surprise every year, and you never seem to know what know expect around here, which I really dislike. For example, we seemed to break multiple records in the rainfall category, and things never seemed to dry up until late May. Then you look at this Spring so far, which has been the warmest and most bizarre one to date.  I find this aspect of Spring extremely frustrating, and it makes outdoor activities hard to plan during this season. It will be 80 degrees and sunny one day, and then the next day it we might be hit by a surprise snow storm. You just never know with the weather around here.