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

What lies beneath

To continue the winter theme...

The concrete walls of the Rio Hondo riverbed are covered with a variety of vines. In summer, these vines are thick with green leaves that completely cover the concrete. But in winter, most of the leaves fall away, revealing the tangle of branches underneath.

Lost in translation

Christmas time is a little different in California. The leaves are still changing colors. In fact, just a few weeks ago, this tree was multi-colored. Today, it was the overall deep orange of late fall, and with the sun glowing through the leaves...

"Komorebi". Technically an untranslatable word. This is the word the Japanese have for when sunlight filters through the trees—the interplay between the light and the leaves.

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

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

Falling leaves

The rest of the country only gets to see falling leaves in the fall but we get to see them in both the fall and winter. This tree is losing its leafy coat and covering the ground with a yellow blanket.





I caught this leaf before it hit the ground.

Late fall

It was a late fall this year. It is January and leaves are still falling...in Downey anyway. It does make for a beautiful January walk.

"Falling leaves hide the path so quietly." 
~ John Bailey

Falling in love with cooler weather

It was so nice to have rain that seemed to bring on the beginning of some cooler weather. This morning the air was crisp and fresh. I felt invigorated as I walked down the street. I don't know if these leaves would have fallen on their own, or if the rain helped, either way it made for a beautiful walk.

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves." 
~ John Muir

Leaves

I love Downey in the winter! I guess it's because we don't really have true seasons, but it is really nice this time of year. The sky is generally clearer, the mountains seem so close and the trees are full of color. Of course, it hasn't felt like winter with 80 degree days....


"Autumn is a second spring, where every leaf is a flower"
~ Alburt Camus

To everything there is a season

Seasons in southern California rarely pay attention to the calendar.

We're now officially two weeks into winter, but what I've been noticing lately is the explosion of fall colors on my neighborhood streets, as if the trees suddenly realized they're late and need to make up for lost time. (Click on the picture for a larger version where the colors show up better.)

"Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn."
~ Elizabeth Lawrence

Last days of fall

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, which means it's almost winter. The winter solstice is this Saturday at 9:11 p.m. our time.

The trees are a sure sign of the end of fall, for which I personally am grateful. Every fall the tree next door to me drops its leaves, which then, because of the natural funnel effect of my property, get blown into my backyard. For a couple of months each year, I'm sweeping up leaves that don't even belong to me. I look forward to December 21st each year.

“I like these cold, gray winter days. Days like these let you savor a bad mood.”
Calvin (Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes)

Leaves' other side

Beauty is not only in the eye of the beholder but also in the circumstance. Joan showed us some beautiful fall leaves the other day, but when a home owner goes outside and sees all the leaves on his yard and knows there's a job just waiting to be take up his time, well, that's another side of the same coin. Not so beautiful now.

But then I thought I need to look up more often and see the leaves as the tree's gift to me instead of as just work.

What beauty have you seen today?

Autumn flowers

I love this time of year. It is starting to get cooler out...and the trees have started to turn color. This evening I passed these trees that were alive with golds and reds in the light of the setting sun.

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

Autumn leaves

The days seem shorter now and it has started getting colder. It's the transition from summer into winter. Autumn....fall...whatever you call it. That means it's time to wear sweaters, to look for the trees to change colors and the leaves to fall to the ground.

I'm guessing the leaves on this yard had some help.

"Days decrease, and autumn grows, autumn in everything."
~ Robert Browning

The color of leaves

Vacation is over and it's good to be home. The only problem is that I have tons more pictures of France and no backlog of Downey pictures except this one.

So I hope you enjoy this colorful pile of leaves after a recent rain in Downey.

Ah, winter...

January and February really are our winter months in Downey. It starts to really cool down to a chilling 47-55 degrees (Fahrenheit) and you can see the mountains from the streets on a clear day. Even the leaves on the trees decide to dress their part for this season. Some even fall off completely!

In the red

Christmas is always such a colorful time. It seems like every store has been selling poinsettia plants. Many of us buy poinsettias to place around the house, inside and out, so I thought it might be interesting to share some info about this popular "flower" that is actually a small tropical tree.

Did you know?

* Poinsettias are the best-selling potted plant in the United States and Canada.
* Today the plant is known in Mexico and Guatemala as "La Flor de la Nochebuena" (Flower of the Holy Night, or Christmas Eve).
* The “flowers” are actually large bunches of colored leaves. In order to insure its festive coloring, it is essential that the plant received no light at night between October and Christmas.
* Poinsettias are native to southern Mexico and Central America, where they may reach heights of 16 feet with leaves measuring up to eight inches across!
* The Aztecs used the poinsettia leaves to dye fabric for clothing and the sap for medicinal purposes.
* The poinsettia is NOT toxic to humans or animals.

Blissful leaves

Brightly colored fall leaves play an important role in our Thanksgiving table decorations, but our house is surrounded by pine trees. Pine needles totally fail to convey that "it's fall" feeling. So what's a person to do?

Well, at our house, we stock up with some old plastic grocery bags and scout the area for real fall trees. With the mostly mild weather we've had this autumn, the piles aren't quite as thick as usual, but this is one of those streets where we can always count on finding the full range of fall colors—red, orange, purple, yellow, and of course some green.

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