Monday October 21

autumn

This is my third autumn in California, the time of the year that makes me wish I had never left New Jersey. If the climate were like this all over the world, they wouldn't call this season "Fall", it would be something else like "Blah".

Living in Mountain View the last two years really rubbed it in. Instead of massive piles of leaves piled in everyone's yard, there are little streaks of brown flaky things here and there. The air is devoid of the characteristically crisp smell of dead foliage. You can still walk around in a t-shirt on Halloween. By Thanksgiving the only significant change is the arrival of rain. And not real rain, mind you, just pathetic little drizzles and constantly overcast skies. Kids who grew up out here wouldn't have a clue what to do with a pile of raked leaves; of course, the only proper protocol is to jump in head first and smallow a mouthful of dust.

This year I am hoping will be better. Now that I live in a forest at the foot of the Santa Cruz mountains, the odds of experiencing a real autumn are somewhat better. Still, the ratio of coniferous to deciduous trees out here is staggering. I love being surrounded by redwood trees, but come autumn I would gladly replace them all with just one maple, so I could see a single red leaf turn yellow to green to brown. I'd even consider trading my laptop for a rake. Ok, not really, but maybe just for one day.