Sure signs of autumn

Fall has clearly come to Venice, CA. Yesterday was "nippy" (it never got above 67 degrees - brrr!), so Venetians strolling along trendy Abbot Kinney Blvd. were swathed in colorful knit scarves and caps. Meanwhile, out-of-town tourists were wearing shorts as they ambled along the Boardwalk. One person's chilly fall weather is another person's balmy paradise.

Monarch butterflies have been swarming my milkweed bushes; soon the leaves and stems will be decorated with Very Hungry Caterpillars.

The squirrels have revved up their already frenetic activities, burying nuts and pine cones in my planter boxes (much to the devastation of my lettuce and swiss chard seedlings). My husband swears that a squirrel took deliberate aim at his head with a pine cone as he was sitting reading in the tree house. Thinking of both Squirrel Nutkin and those rascally squirrels from Mutts, I'm sure he's right.

The L.A. Roadrunners can once again be seen early every Saturday morning, loping two by two along the Venice Boardwalk like baby ducklings following their mama, as they start training for the LA Marathon. Rain or shine, I'm there with them, drawing raised eyebrows from early-morning tourists and much commentary from the homeless.

And it's supposed to rain today! By this time of the year, Angelenos' memory of rain is very vague - it feels like a mythological phenomenon. Like Momo in Umbrella, I've been waiting and waiting for rain. Usually we have to wait until November, December, or beyond - but today the dust and oil of many months might finally be washed off the streets and sidewalks.

I love fall!