Being in California....

Where I live here i southern California most would presume it is as close to paradise as it could get in these United States. I must say as a side note to this, I do love the weather and wouldn't change it for the sticky humid days of the midwest and south or the freezing cold days in the north. But I have a small complaint when the fall days (like right now) come and the weather stays basically the same, I miss the good ole Chicago fall and winters. Another thing, these fires that have captivated the minds of southern californians the past two Octobers are terrible. I never thought that at anytime I could be told to leave my house for fear a fire would burn it down. I was watching a movie a few days back and it was a scene in the fall, where the trees across the valley had turned a beautiful red, yellow and green. Thoughts came flooding back of the days when my dad would make my siblings and I rake our yard. I hated it then of course because it seemed like we did it on the coldest days. Now I would love to do that just one more time. Funny how change can make you appreciate what you had... even if it was raking two acres of leaves in, what seemed like -20 degree weather.