Desert Fall

If you have lived somewhere that has a true fall, with color in the trees and a slow down of life, Fall in AZ is odd. While the rest of the country is digging out winter clothes, we are still wearing shorts. It has cooled down some, the night temps are down but there is still a feeling of growth, rather than the feeling of shuting down.

It's hard to describe it, it's not the same feeling as Spring, when everything is new and having a fresh start. It's more the feeling of celebration that you made it through another hot, miserable summer. It's like one last umph before things shut down for the winter season.

So, no leaves giving their final show, but the other plants are giving one of their own. The flowers bloom smaller stressed blooms as if to say, "I still have my punch!" We plant winter veggie gardens and some folks put in winter grass that keeps everything a bright green all winter.

We planted tomatoes but no winter grass. I firmly believe that things in nature deserve a rest just like we do. Wasting water for winter lawns drives me crazy and to use the great white hunter's words, " Who wants to mow grass year around?" So, while most of our neighbors have bright green lawns to set their Christmas displays on, we do it on brown grass. I think Santa approves.

Here's Fall as we know it.