Autumn comes creeping in...

 

Fall has finally arrived here in the Valley of the Sun.  Not in that anything is actually "falling", but mornings and evenings are now quite lovely to be outside and I no longer have to get up at the crack of dawn to walk to dog.  These days I have a cup of coffee and follow my 2 younger daughters around as they get ready for school, prodding them to leave on time (Chloe sleeps a bit later). Then I follow Phoebe to her bus stop with the dog, and we head off on a morning walk.  The daytime temperatures have dipped down into the mid nineties (F), and it's no longer a dreaded moment leaving the car in a sweltering parking lot as you walk across what feels like hot coals to the air-conditioned store or office 100 feet away.  When we first moved here a year ago, I laughed when I saw the weather report listing 95ºF as "Pleasantly Warm", now I laugh because I actually agree.  The other change is that our lemon tree is starting to sport some lemons that are much more yellow and less green looking.  I think in another month or so we'll be making lemonade, and lemon bars, and lemon cookies, and.... Well you get the idea.

This weekend my Chloe and Phoebe will be heading off to camp with their new Girl Scout troops.  It took about a year, but I finally found troops for all three girls.  Naomi's troop is new and her leader is still "in training" so they aren't going to encampment this year.  She's sort of alternating between being glad to have some time to herself, and upset about missing camp. The other two are excited though and have been packing, and packing.  I'm excited for them as I signed them up to try the zipline.... I've always wanted to do that!  Anyway, Happy Thursday!!!