happy first day of autumn!

 To celebrate the end of a long, hot summer, here are some snapshots from my neck of the woods.

 In Tucson, lots of things start blooming around 

now as a result of the late monsoon rains. 

(And we're still in flip flops, as you can see in the corner). 

 When I see pictures on people's blogs of the leaves

changing color already in some parts of the country, 

I realize that fall for us is like a second spring --

lots of green leaves and grasses, and blue skies all around.

In fact, I have this theory that people in Tucson and other hot

climates experience the seasons opposite of how they are 

generally conceived: We hide in the summer and come

out to play in the winter. We celebrate the passing of the heat and

welcome the opportunity to head outdoors comfortably with the cold. 
We garden through the winter and hibernate through

the heat. There are similarities, too, though -- I'm just 

itching to bake again, and to throw on a scarf and a sweater. 

Bring on the cold!!