Fall in Monterey

I know I know... Californians don't really know what it is like to experience the seasons. East Coasters laugh in our faces when we say, "Fall is here!" Or, "It's going to be a cold winter!" But we do experience the seasons in our own special California way.

Fall is here in Monterey. You can tell. The gophers in the lawn are risking the danger of little children's stomping feet to come out of the cooling ground and bask in the sunshine. The birds are busy finding a place to nest for the winter that is approaching. Even the bees have grown sluggish in their efforts to terrorize the school children during their lunch hour. The trees that are not evergreens are turning an odd shade of, what is that, red? Orange? Every so often, as I am driving through a forest of pine trees, a brilliant flash of color will catch my eye and I discover a small maple tree, valiantly blooming all of the colors in the red spector. It is as if that little tree is defying the rules of Monterey by being different than all of tall cyprus trees that surround it.

The weather has a peculiar fall feel to it. Clear blue skies will give away to creeping fog over the prairie behind our buildings. It comes upon us as a surprise. One moment we are complaining of heat, wondering who turned on the heater, and the next we are trying to find each other in the soupy fog that has come from nowhere. When clouds do gather in the sky, it is a good chance that you will get a cleansing rain. It is oddly deceptive though. I wake up to raindrops and put on my California version of heavy weather gear... turtleneck sweater, stockings, jeans, boots, and a scarf, only to step outside to mild temperatures. It is almost as if a tropical rain has fallen on our sleepy little coastal town.

I was driving through the prairie that sits behind our buildings yesterday and saw the oddest looking birds forraging in the fields. Upon closer inspection, I concluded that they were turkeys. Funny. I've never actually SEEN a live turkey in the wild before. Come to think of it, I'm not sure I've ever seen a LIVE turkey anywhere. I was pretty sure they existed because I was cooking and eating on every Thanksgiving, but still... to see them blissfully wandering free in the fields was a treat. I wonder if they appreciate their freedom? I wonder if they know it is turkey-hunting season around here? Shhh... I won't tell them if you won't.

Of course, one cannot mention Fall in Monterey without discussing the colds and flus that abound. I blame it on the wacky weather patterns. Either I am dressed too warmly or not warmly enough. The drastic change in temperature between my office (overheated) and the outdoors (crisp and cool) makes for a delightful breeding ground for germs. That, and the gift of sharing that my little school children seem to have mastered. A jar of santitized wipes sits on my desk and I have become obsessed with wiping down every touched surface in an effort to kill the germs that have targeted me for invasion. It is an on-going battle.

Fall is here in Monterey. It is evident. Pumpkins sit on my desk, waiting to be carved. Discussions have turned to Thanksgiving Dinner and who is going where and what should we cook this year? Last night, it was decided that we would be non-traditional in our house. Rack of Lamb is the dinner we have selected. I have a feeling that the spirit of Fall will take over and turkey will win again. As it does every year.

All in all, despite the mildness of our California seasons, it is evident that Fall has come to Monterey. And I, for one, am going to enjoy every minute of it!