Does California have seasons?

Having lived my whole life in Michigan with its four distinct seasons, I may have had the impression that southern California had only one season - summer all the time. So I didn't know what to expect this spring; therefore I have been delighted by the sights and sounds and smells of spring.

Sure enough, things have been greening up around here. The grass at the park is looking good. As more leaves open up, the trees are getting thicker and the woods are filling in. We continue to be amazed at how green the mountains are getting. The orange blossoms are glorious. How cool to see orange trees bearing both mature oranges and blossoms at the same time. I didn't know they could do that.

One house on our street has a very cool flowering tree spilling over the fence onto the shoulder of the road.

The avocado trees are covered with huge bunches of blossoms and already seem loaded down - so it's hard to imagine how they will be able to carry the added weight of more fruit. No wonder the farmers prop up the branches with 2x4's! Rose bushes climb the chain-link fence to hide the avocado groves from sight.

And then there are the flowers! I was happy that were lots of flowers before, but I keep being surprised by new ones here and there. The red geraniums are multiplying and have now been joined by pink ones which were new to me.

Numerous clusters of ground cover produce a myriad of tiny delicate blossoms. Yesterday I learned that one type of "poor man's orchids" blossom for one day - and yes, I was introduced to them while they were blooming.

While talking about the sights of spring, I must include the small brilliantly orange bird that flew out of the orange grove this morning while I was walking past. I wonder what he is.

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Spring is not only to be seen, but can also be heard. Yes, there seem to be new sounds - although I am ignorant of the time table for all of the sounds around here. One of the first that I noticed this spring came from the bees. Oh, the buzzing of the bees. As I walk through the park I keep hearing the hum of yet another swarm of bees overhead in the live oak trees.

Besides the auditory signal of the bees' presence, there is also visual evidence of them as well. I don't know how the bees coordinate their schedule with our human calendar, but we are learning how to tell that it is "bee season" in the orange groves - when the white netting is put over the rows and rows of trees. Local growers have explained that they spread the nets to keep out the bees so they can produce seedless Clementines. Yum!

There seem to be more bird sounds recently although again I am not nearly an expert and struggle to identify bird calls. I do know there is one that for some reason makes me think of my grandson - maybe because I can imagine him mimicking it. There is even a rooster in at least one neighbor's yard to remind us of life in the Dominican Republic.

The soft swishing sound of windmills can hardly compete with the slightly louder synchronized whine of the fans in the ends of the rows and rows and rows of greenhouses.   In the quiet of the evening I often hear a familiar sound that is similar to those back home in Michigan - namely the low purr of tractors in the fields next door. A few small John Deere tractors are used in our neighborhood as well as an old Ford that reminds me of the one I learned to drive on.

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Yes, there are new sights and sounds that seem to have appeared this spring, and there are also new smells. Oh, the smells. Driving home from town is like stepping into a room where the wood has just been polished with orange oil, but oh, so much fresher and more wonderful. Naturally the smell was the strongest when the orange blossoms were in full bloom, but it continues. It is hard to identify the exact smells. Once in awhile I can isolate the eucalyptus and often catch the scent of mature oranges but mostly it is just this sweet tangy potpourri all the time. What a tantalizing aroma.

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Okay; I am convinced. California does have seasons, too. I love the fact that I can live this season of my life in such a place with delightful sights, sounds and smells of spring.