Through the Looking Glass
I arrived in California at the beginning of the week to visit my parents and I was a little dismayed by the soggy weather. Fortunately, the sun has made an appearance almost everyday this week and now I feel like I'm in a tropical paradise!
We've been enjoying the sun by taking as many trips out of doors as possible. One day, my mother and I took Melise on a walk around the block. First off, this is a unique event for Melise because we don't have sidewalks along the roads where we live (it would be a bit silly since we live on gravel roads and our nearest neighbor is a half-mile away), so she doesn't get a lot of time in a stroller.
All the plants here are well ahead of Colorado. My crocuses at home are still buried in snow, I'm sure, but on our walk I noticed daffodils blooming in many yards.
Don't those just make you long for Spring? . . . unless you live in California . . .
Anyhow, we were walking along enjoying the sun and the fresh air when I heard a familiar sound, but I just couldn't think of what it was. I pushed it to the back of my mind because I was chatting with my mom. Then we came up to the thing that was making the noise and I laughed, "That man is mowing his lawn! Imagine that? Mowing lawns in February!" On our walk we had walked past so many green lawns and I had completely forgotten about that chore that comes with them mostly because I won't have to think about that chore until at least April!
That got my mother and me talking about how different California's climate is from most of the country. It has what's called a mediterranean climate, which means that it rains in the winter and is dry in the summer. Consequently, grass and many other plants grow in the winter and spring and then die or go dormant in the summer if they aren't watered by a sprinkler system. I remember a teaching assistant in college who was from a mid-western state trying to teach a large class of mostly native Californians about deciduous plants. She chose grass as an example and asked, "Is grass deciduous?" We were silent. She said, "Think about it, does it die in the winter?" Then many of us very confidently said, "No!" She looked so perplexed! But here the grass is at it's best in the winter! In the rest of the country, grass is brown and dry and possibly covered in snow.
This visit has been a very special retreat for me from the long winter in Colorado and it's been an adventure for Melise. She couldn't run around with her pants rolled up and splash in puddles at home right now! And that sweater she's wearing, she didn't even need it!
One last picture of another beautiful sight that we won't see in Colorado for at least another month: blooming fruit trees. Are you all jealous yet? Can I bring this back with me please?
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