Downey's autumn

Since we are further south than the New England states, our autumn colors come a little later in the year. But they come just the same, as verified by these red leaves. Soon, the whole tree will be filled with brightly colored leaves signaling they are ready to fall. Then this homeowner will be out each weekend for a while raking up the leaves off his lawn just like homeowners in Vermont. Oh, except, we don't have to worry about getting the leaves up before our lawns are covered with snow.

Enjoy the brisk cool mornings, the warm sunshine afternoons, and beautiful sunsets, Downey. This is a great place to live.

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."
~ Albert Camus

Ring around a...

These ghostly figures are celebrating the season around this tree. If it looks like there are more fallen leaves than you'd expect, you're right. I was away this weekend to an area where they actually have fall colors!

Pumpkin patch

I can start getting excited about the fall season! It wasn't as hot today and my weather app tells me it will stay cooler. Fall means fall decorating and pumpkins—Home Depot had tons of pumpkins piled up out in front of the store and these two seemed to be having fun trying to pick out the perfect one!

"October is my excuse for pumpkin everything!"
~ Anonymous

Thanksgiving decorations

Have you noticed that just after Halloween was over the Thanksgiving decorations came out? I know they look like winter decorations but fall isn't over yet. Since Thanksgiving is the next and last holiday of the fall season, these must be Thanksgiving decorations.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Better things ahead

As this vacation comes to a close, I came across this scene that combines two of my favorite subjects: train tracks and fall leaves. The tracks open the imagination to places not yet seen. The leaves remind us of the beauty of aging.

"There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind."
~ C. S. Lewis

"How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days."
~ John Burroughs

Trees in fall

While Downey is headed into a heat wave for this weekend, I am out of town and currently in Grants Pass, Oregon, where tomorrow we will have a high of 64 degrees.

I haven't been here in several years and I forgot how beautiful it is in the fall. What a treat it was to encounter. The trees are brilliant and absolutely beautiful.


"Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree." 
~ Emily Bronte

Fall colors

I like autumn and find myself anticipating the colors of fall. This house looks so inviting in the late afternoon sun.

“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
~ L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Welcome fall

Pam wrote about the signs of fall starting to appear in the form of pumpkins. Well, it appears to be spreading! This house was quite decked out in the fall scheme of things.

If you are not quite ready for pumpkins to adorn your front yard, you could always compromise by stopping by Starbucks for a Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Signs of fall

It's fall. The typical signs? Sweaters. Hot cocoa. Walks in the woods. The fireplace. Falling leaves. Chill in the air. Hot apple cider. Pumpkins.

Well, one out of nine isn't bad. In southern California, the leading (and only!) indicator of fall is pumpkins. In preparation for Halloween and Thanksgiving, pumpkins are popping up all over.

The stragglers

Maybe I just haven't noticed before. But this year, I'm very aware of the Halloween decorations that are still up in these first days of November. (Not that I really expect anyone to jump up early Tuesday morning and pack the stuff away!) But with Halloween and summer weather infringing into the first days of November, and knowing that Christmas decorations are going to start popping up any day now even though it's not yet Thanksgiving, I'm feeling a bit nostalgic for the good ol' days. What's happened to fall?

All at once...

"And all at once summer collapsed into fall."
~ Oscar Wilde

It seems like I had just passed this house only a week before, but this day it was transformed into a field of "fall" and Halloween all at once. 

Fall exposure

Each spring and summer, I enjoy the trees full of leaves, especially the shade they provide. But fall rolls around every year to remind me that trees are often most interesting when they are bare—when you can see the twisted and wiggy shapes of the branches that hold the trees together, or the prehistoric-looking designs in the bark.

Signs of fall

I was in Seattle last weekend, where the air was brisk and the leaves were turning colors. It felt like fall, even though fall wasn't officially here yet.

But here in southern California, those aren't the signs we look for. Our leaves are still green, the temperatures are in the 90s, and the only sign of fall is the abundance of pumpkins, including preparations for the pumpkin lot at the local CVS store.

Shorter days

It seems like overnight, the trees in Downey have begun to change color. This stand of trees lines the center island of Paramount Blvd.  I don't know how long I have driven past them as they were starting to change colors, but all of a sudden I noticed it this week—an explosion of color.

The shorter days and longer, colder nights of the fall season contribute to the leaves changing colors.

"Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree." 
~ Emily Bronte, Fall leaves, fall

Autumn and the retail calendar

Our current 90 degree days might give the impression that summer will never end.

But with pumpkins, balloons, and all sorts of autumn decor for sale, the retail calendar says that the fall holidays (Día de Muertos, Halloween, and Thanksgiving) are already upon us.

Hints of fall - part 3

Another sign of the changing seasons is this flock of geese heading southward.

"Don't be afraid to go on an occasional wild goose chase -- that's what wild geese are for."
~ Anonymous

Hints of fall - part 2

When it comes to signs of fall, something even more reliable than falling leaves is the beginning of football season. Even the Second Tyme Around Thrift Shop, who always decorates the store windows for the season, recognizes this fact.

And just next door, you can watch the game with your friends at Joseph's Bar & Grill.

Hints of fall - part 1

The heat of the last couple of weeks makes it seem like summer will go on forever. But everywhere I turn, I'm being reminded that fall is just around the corner. It seems like almost overnight this tree in the park has lost most of its leaves.

This is always a bittersweet time for me. I love summer, with its warmth and long days, and I don't want it to end. But I love fall too. There are so many things to look forward to: the colors, the silhouettes of bare trees, the holidays, cooler weather (yes!), and hopefully some rain.

Bring on the fall!

Tree-lined street

Okay, so we keep posting pictures full of fall colors, but that's because there is still so much fall color around.

This is one of my favorite streets in Downey. I like it because of the trees. It almost feels like a little street in the Midwest. Of course, the fall leaves make it look more dramatic, with the leaves covering the sidewalk, street and cars. And, after the rain, the trunks of the trees look almost black. 

Autumn is still smiling

It's winter. I know, because the calendar says so. So why do we at DDP keep talking about fall?

Well, it's because of days like this. Autumn is still smiling, even though we're a month into winter. It's hard not to be captivated by the sight of all these leaves, with their beautiful fall colors. Especially when the leaves have been washed and brightened by the recent rain. Sometimes it feels like fall will never end.

"Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile."
~ William Cullen Bryant