Thursday, September 16, 2010

Autumn in NY

Autumn in NY is a great Frank Sinatra song,no longer my reality. Most days around here in the Bay Area feel like a lovely September day back east. Lots of sunny warmth but no humidity. Cool mornings and evenings. A little nip in the air.

It's not easy to tell when Fall starts around here. Every weather cue I have had used is gone.

Complaining that there are no seasons in California will get you nowhere. The natives feel the difference. It's subtle and I'm still not attuned to the change although this will be my fifteenth fall set in the Bay Area. There is no aha moment like there often is in September in New York when you can tell summer is over and Fall has begun. At least not to me.

My friends who are gardeners are very much in touch with the seasons. I sill get confused by flowers that bloom in February and strawberry season lasting for months rather than years. The way I know winter is coming is that the hills behind me begin to turn from brown to green.

There are no winter clothes to dig out of storage. The geese seem to fly north, south, east, west without an agenda. Back to school sales might help, but they begin in July. Ditto Halloween.

There is really only one cue I rely on to know it's Fall. Pumpkin spice lattes are back at Starbucks.

3 comments:

Betty Hechtman said...

Pumpkin latte's sound good!

Linda O. Johnston said...

You're right about gardens helping to presage the time of year in California, Terri--not that I'm much of a gardener, but my husband is. Certain plants seem to know the month, although many have more than one blooming season each year.

Camille Minichino said...

Ditto, Terri! And I'll never get used to Santa sweating in his outfit on the street corner.

One plus here: Loard's pumpkin ice cream. That's it.