As the weather warms up and the snowcapped hills of western Maine thaw, the fifth season of the year begins: mud season. White gym shoes are stored away. Every step you take in the grass comes with a slight sinking feeling. Businesses close as small towns enter a short hibernation before the busy summer months. But even when things are at their quietest, there is still an anticipatory energy that keeps people moving. Everyone knows that in a few long, long weeks, the trees will bud and the sun will shine.