We escaped home to visit our friends in the high desert. The humidity at home with temperatures in the high 90’s was just too much. It was impossible to cool the house at all. Arriving at our friend’s house, the temperatures were high 80’s but very dry. What a delightful difference. I was beginning to think I just could not be in warm weather any more. Not so. It was delightful. A nice breeze, not strong, just cooling enough.
The sunrises here are exceptional in fall, with gold and oranges predominating everywhere. The mornings were cool but not cold and the afternoons sublime. I spent one afternoon floating in their small above ground pool.
We watched flocks of hawks, or what I think are called kettles of hawks. Normally you just see one or maybe two hawks. Here was a sky filled with hawks. I couldn’t get to my camera quickly enough to capture the scene.
Returning home a few days later it was 101 degrees. Not exactly pumpkin spice weather. Finally on Tuesday, the weather broke. The humidity went away and you could breathe once again. We even got a little rain from tropical storm Rachel. It was humid but not hot.
Looking out in our garden, the tomato plants had grown another few feet with very few tomatoes. I assume the humidity was the cause of it all. As I mentioned previously, several of our grapevines have sprouted new grape clusters. It is not impossible for this to happen, but not to the degree it is happening right now. I have already processed my grapes for 2026 when I had to harvest back in July. I’m thinking of making my mulled wine jam again this year with the extra grapes that are ripening. If any grape grower reads this post, I’d like to ask whether I should cut the plants back or just let them go until January.
They aren’t the only plants producing. Our spring freesias are also up. What will we have in spring? I am still getting sweet peas from the container variety I planted last winter. Everything is out of sync.
Today the fall Santa Ana winds have arrived. It is warm and dry but not unpleasant. I feel invigorated in this weather. October brings the most beautiful skies. It is like the last hurrah of the season before the darkness hits in November.
