Fall Forward

Normally, I don't put up cheesing pictures of flowers on my blog but every once in a while you see something that represents something else. For the Southwestern United States moving from summer into fall means our release from the air condition enclaves that we retreat to in the late spring. Suddenly I new world opens up, and we are free to plan outdoor activities and our houses are larger because we can have backyard barbecues. There is a rebirth of vegetation as temperatures cool sufficiently for them; therefore I am posting the blooming of the bird of paradise in my courtyard to celebrate the approaching autumn and all that it means - cooler temperatures, bigger houses and more time with friends.