Sunny Southern California

In the land where the oranges grow:

Southern California has long been known for touting our mild Mediterranean climate. This year lends itself to that smugness with yesterday (Christmas Day) and today (Christmas Day Observed) having temperatures in the mid-70s to the 80s.    

Balmy Christmas Afternoon: photo by Cliff Hutson 

So, I been outdoors taking photos of the plants around my house. It is almost cliché to have Orange trees in one's yard where I live. This area was all citrus groves into the 1960s. But, they were among the first things we planted after we moved in.

Pretty Pink Flower: photo by Cliff Hutson

There were two groupings of Camellias that were already here; we left them untouched, and have enjoyed the flowers for over thirty years.

Mister Lincoln Rose: photo by Cliff Hutson

The original owner, who bought in 1955, also planted many rose bushes. The majority of those are no longer with us, but this is one of the ones that has held on through the years. I am not sure when it was established, but it still blooms profusely.

Speaking of Roses

There is a common belief among Southern Californians that vast multitudes of people from the East and Midwest move out here after seeing our beautiful weather when watching the (Pasadena) Rose Parade or the Rose Bowl game. 

That is probably not a thing and, in any event, this year will be less inviting. An approaching storm system is expected to bring cold and wet conditions to Southern California this week. Temperatures will drop to the low to mid 60s and conditions are expected to stay that way through next weekend.

However, compared to the disastrous ‘bomb cyclone’ that has struck much of the nation, SoCal might still seem appealing.