Autumn in the Desert

This is the first day of Autumn, one of my two favorite seasons. This is a beautiful time to live in the desert, one which many of us have anticipated while hibernating all summer in our air-conditioned homes. In this part of of the country, we begin to experience the cool, breezy weather of 92 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, and nights that are in the high 60's. We can still comfortably wear shorts and t-shirts. The leaves don't begin to change color here until much later. Instead, we see a resurgence of blooms in formerly heat-stressed flowering plants, which have endured searing, dry summer temperatures as high as 114 degrees or more. It's almost like a second Spring. This is the time of year I love being outdoors, enjoying my backyard garden, an "officially" Certified Wildlife Habitat, with its small waterfall and pond. Relaxing outside, I watch hummingbirds fly from plant to plant, drinking in the nectar of life, and see a dragonfly come to rest, alighting on a pine needle. What a joy!