Looking for Fall

It's felt like summer here for the last ten months.  No joke.  Last December it cleared up after a period of rain and I marveled at how it was gloriously blue skied and perfect out day after day (in December!).  But ever since then, most days have been like that.  There was a week or so of rain in March (which happened to be when my family visited) and maybe a rainy day or two in April but otherwise Santa Cruz has been decidedly dry.  There have also been a couple of days when the fog never quite burned off and a slight chill hung in the air but those days never lasted into whole weeks.  Yes, it's been sky, monotonous blue sky, for the better part of a year now. 

I know I shouldn't complain about sunshine and warm weather but I miss the seasons in Seattle.  Hell, I even miss the rain.  A week or two ago the fog rolled in every night and hung around until midday and I thought, maybe, just maybe, fall was moving in.  The days have heated back up though. Yesterday and today temperatures climbed into the 90s (and may have even reached 100 degrees).  I guess it's an Indian Summer.  But I'm tired (really, really tired) of summer.  So I'm looking for fall.  And at this point, I'll take what I can get. 

Some of the best fall foliage on display downtown

Fall underfoot

Some signs of fall along the San Lorenzo

Buckwheat is ready for fall!

Fall fringed treetops in Pogonip

I miss wearing sweaters in the daytime and hearing rain falling outside at night and curling up on the couch with a warm drink on a dreary Sunday morning . . . I want to put away my shorts and stop ordering cold drinks and wear my coats and make soups!  Summer's been nice but has definitely overstayed its welcome.  So come on fall, I'm ready for you!