I always have non-Californians ask if our trees lose their leaves in the fall.

Um…this is our front walk/yard. It is usually a nice green lawn (or during the very summer months – a yellowish/green).

So yes…we do lose our leaves. Our ash tree usually drops its leaves in November, but weird weather this winter has the poor trees all mixed up. It is bizarre to sit and literally watch the leaves fall off of the tree.

By the bagful.

Every time Addie walked outside last week she would say, “Oh Mama! It is fall! Look at all the leaves falling off of the trees!”

Of course her older, much wiser sister corrects her instantly. “NO Addie, it is actually winter. We just live in CAL-i-FORnia!”

It didn’t stop Addie from jumping in the leaves last week though. (Note: This was taken the day after the gardener cleaned up the yard and he bundled up two big barrels plus 15 bags of leaves. We swept up another huge pile, and you can’t even tell right now that we have picked any leaves up at all!)

And Bear had to take a turn, too…