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Tag Archive for fall

Southern California in the Fall

Posted on October 13, 2014 by Renee Spindle

Here in Southern California we have been in the middle of a quite a few 100 degree days. May I remind you it is already the middle of October. Now I realize that in one sense we are lucky to be basking in the glow of the sun. But on the other hand it would be so nice just to have a bit of a breather from the heat, and get some cooler weather going here.

I have lived in Southern California for over 30 years, but I grew up in Northern Illinois. So I have experienced the change of seasons, the dreaded winter blues, and the wonder of spring bringing everything back to life. But today as I sit here sipping my iced tea, while the thermometer reads 97 I am a little jealous of all of you who are able to bask in the colors of fall. Seeing the leaves change on the trees and the transformation from yellows to oranges to reds is a wonder of nature that will never cease to amaze me. In order for me to see a real change of seasons I have to take a “Leafer Trip” with my favorite Travel Man. You know, we travel to where the leaves are changing just to take in the sights and colors all around us. We have done a trip like this a couple of times, and have had good success seeing the trees and leaves in their full color glory.

Fall for most of the country also brings the chill in the air, the brisk and cool mornings, and the dusting off of the crock pots to make that first batch of soup. I definitely have an aversion to eating any soup while the temps are hovering in the 90’s. It has to be just a bit cooler for me to enjoy a bowl of soup. Here in California-ville we have to wait until closer to November to experience all things fall. This is ok, but by that time you are staring at the calendar looking at how close it is to Thanksgiving and then Christmas. So we do have a “fall” season in my opinion, it is just so much shorter.

In the good old days, fall would be signified by the kids heading back to school, much shorter days, probably some sort of sports for the winter season and the dreaded Santa Ana winds. These are the winds that kickup over the mountains, and bring lots of heat a dust, a very southwestern event. These days we don’t have anyone left in school or sports, but my ode to fall is my ash tree in the backyard. The leaves change colors on that tree to a nice golden yellow. Once the leaves are gone on that tree it’s officially fall here for me.

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October is Here, it’s Time for a Change.

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Renee Spindle

It’s time for a change, time for a new beginning, time to get back to my writing and story sharing. So grab a cup of coffee and get comfortable. I have some new stories and thoughts to share. This post is slightly of the more personal variety, because it is directly about me.

This past year I have had the most difficult time writing on a consistent basis. I would write for a few weeks, and then nothing for the next four weeks. Then I might start to write and post, and just not publish it. Honestly, I have been battling myself quite a bit this year just to get my little stories out of my head and published here. Life is always full of twists and turns, positives and negatives. I’ll be the first one to tell you there has been a lot going on in Renee World this year, and I have been letting that get in the way of what I like to do.

So now that the calendar has turned to October and it is time for some new beginnings. The update to my blog is going along quite well, thanks to the help of a certain Travel Man that I know. How does everyone like the new look so far? I am quite pleased with the outcome, and will continue with little tweaks and updates as I plug along here.

The fall TV dramas/comedies have commenced. My favorites right now are; The Good Wife, Scandal, Blue Bloods, Nashville, and The Big Bang Theory. And now it’s October. October for me is the time for all things fall, and the countdown to the holidays; Thanksgiving, Christmas, and The New Year. It’s about finding new pumpkiny recipes to try, and dusting off the crock pot for soups or stew.

In our house the appearance of the crock pot on the counter means that the days are getting shorter, and it gets dark outside way to early for my liking. It does not always mean that the weather is getting cooler like most other parts of the country. For those of us that live in the desert of the southwest we are asking, “Was it below 90 degrees today?”, or “Is there any rain in the forecast, any at all?”

Baseball is in the midst of the playoffs. Football is here. The pool water is suddenly getting way too chilly to go for an afternoon swim. The leaves on my ash tree are turning yellow, and the mornings are starting off a little cooler now. So it’s goodbye to summer, and hello fall. It’s so good to be back in the blogosphere.