A Southern Californian Autumn

I know that I live in Southern California, where there are only 2 seasons: windy and hot. I also know that I've never actually lived anywhere else where people experience 4 distinct seasons. But, I travel a lot, so I do have an idea of what a true autumn is.

And, despite the fact that it's been quite warm and dry here, it's starting to feel like Fall! So what if red, orange, and gold leaves don't adorn all the trees here? And, so what if our palm trees stay the same shade of green and brown throughout the year. There's still a sense of a seasonal change here. You wouldn't be able to tell unless you were a Californian native.

Tonight, I feel the seasonal change. It might have been more because of the produce the local markets carried rather than the leaves and the air. But, regardless: it is October, so it's Fall.

Early today, I walked into the grocery store to be greeted by these fragrant cinnamon brooms-- to which I instantly I wanted to buy it but I didn't know what to do with it. I thought you might display it in the home, next to a cornucopia or pumpkins. But when I did an image search for a "cinnamon broom," it came up on wican websites. So I guess they're used for witchcraft!



Another thing that reminded me of Fall was the abundance of squash in the market. Acorn, spaghetti, carnival, buttercup and butternut-- so many varieties of squash, begging to be cooked. I went squash-happy and bought 3! Spaghetti, acorn, and carnival. I tossed half of the carnival squash in the microwave amidst 2 tbsp of water. Five minutes, 1 tsp of butter, 2 tsp of brown sugar, and a heavy sprinkling of cinnamon later, I had a piping hot, sweet squash for dessert. Fantastic!



Two more indicators of Fall: it now gets dark at 6:30, 7. And, the Fall season of television, with my favorite (non-reality) shows: Grey's Anatomy, The Office, Heroes (haven't watched any yet; still on the DVR), and Desperate Housewives.