Is it fall?

It's fall, right? It's a little hard to tell. Even by southern California standards, there's not much fall color in Downey yet.

But it's not just the fault of our generally warm climate and our unseasonably warm days. You have to have the right kinds of trees, such as the maple tree above,  if you want fall color. I'm paying more attention this year, and it turns out that a lot of our trees don't even lose their leaves in the fall. (I know, big surprise!)

But even those that do lose their leaves don't necessarily turn colors. For example, the tree to the left is losing lots of leaves, and the grass below is covered with a pale yellow carpet. Pretty in its own way, but not the striking colors one sees in Vermont, for example.

So pay attention when you're driving around town. They may be few and far between, but those maple trees are there. And the leaves are finally starting to turn!