FALL is here!

   
     I never liked fall when I lived in New England. Yes, of course, I loved watching all the leaves turn colors, and the cool, crisp air that comes with it, but still...everything would die. Everything turned muddy, too cold too quickly, brown was the main color on the ground, in the trees (once the harsh winds blew all those pretty leaves off), and even the sky gets less colorful as summer fades. The memories of summer beach days and pool parties were fading. The worst was the nights - they get SO cold, so fast! You go from shorts and t-shirts to needing bulky coats and shoes with more coverage from the rain, wind, cold and mud. It was time to put away the motorcycles for another year, and forget about boating til late spring.

     Then I moved to Arizona and that all changed!

     Now when fall comes, it's a wonderful event! The days aren't quite so hot, with daytime temps under 100 now. The early mornings are usually around the mid-80s so you get more motivated to get up early and get your outside errands done. The car isn't hot enough to bake cookies (or your hands on the steering wheel) anymore.

     We don't have typical trees full of sugary sap that makes their leaves change colors. Most of our trees are palm trees, citrus trees (that hold green leaves year-round), a few evergreen trees, which I've always felt were out of place here, and some shrub type trees used for landscaping.

     Although we don't have colors blooming on our trees, we do have colors blooming elsewhere.  Fall is when many flowers are able to bloom again now that it's not too hot.  Our normally green prickly pear cactus turns a pretty purple color once the nights are cold.

     The Phoenix Zoo's rose garden is amazing during the fall! All kinds of roses in different sizes, shapes, colors, and hues.

     The fall sky here is something we wait for here too. Because of the monsoon season and dust storms that come in until early fall, the sky that can be pretty all year, really comes alive with beautiful sunsets in reds, golds, oranges, blues, and purples. They're the prettiest sunsets all year. I always look forward to them.

     Fall means it's cool enough to start adding more outdoor activities to our schedules. Just like in colder states where you stay in for the harshest winter months, we stay in as much as possible during our harshest summer months. In the fall, people start walking, riding bikes, hiking trails, and even mountain climbing since there's so many here to pick from.

 

   We have pumpkin and chili festivals just like the rest of the country. We celebrate fall with apples, squash, pumpkins, cinnamon, cider, and other fall flavors. The only difference between our Thanksgiving and that found elsewhere is that ours is often held outside in back yards and on patios. I remember the first time my in-laws came to AZ for a holiday meal (it may have been Christmas), we ate outdoors. It was so strange they said. We love being outdoors in the fall (and winter) here.

     It's time for us to pull out our crock pots, chili and soup recipes, and find local pumpkin festivals to visit on the weekends. It's time to find new walking trails, and find restaurants with outdoor seating.

   
     I'll end with my absolute favorite thing about fall here in AZ, it's the Arizona Fall League baseball!

It's where all the teams send their best AAA, AA, and international prospects to see what they can do. They combine prospects across baseball to form 6 teams, each representing 5 MLB teams each. We buy a pass that retails for about $120 (although we get it deeply discounted) and that allows 6 people to every single game, and there's 3 a day, Monday through Saturday, free parking, open seating - yes, we sit 1st row behind the dugout - and includes admission to their Homerun batting challenge, mid-season All Star Game (the best prospects are showcased), and even the final World Series type championship between the 2 best teams. The best part, as if that's not enough, is that only about 700 - 800 people show up per game, instead of 30,000 - so you can get lots of autographs, photos with the players, and even get to know a few of them. It's the best 6 weeks for minor leagues.

What's YOUR favorite part of fall?