Orange?

I live in a sea of green trees, blue skies and bright sun. Only the hills have yet to turn green again after a burnt beige summer season. In many ways October here is like late spring elsewhere.

It's October, so I search for sunset colors: red-oranges and yellows. Fall on the west coast is a localized. There is one tree on my ride to work whose leaves have turned. There's also a persimmon tree loaded with fruit. The persimmons have been turning from green to yellow-orange. When they're fully colorful, I'll pick them for persimmon bread. Otherwise, it's hard to find any signs of the season.

Except in grocery stores. They sell pumpkins. It's amazing that pumpkins can grow without sufficient cool weather. It's the same for the apples and pears that are everywhere now. They're pretty good, but they need more frost. The grocery stores are all decorated with spider webs and skeletons. They're where the seasons really change . . .

There was a time last week when this place was really beautiful. There were clouds in the sky, for once. They were thin wispy clouds that covered the horizon. The sun was setting, and the clouds were a sheer pink on the blue background. The trees were still bright green, but you can't have everything.