Quercus lobata

Bang! Thwack! Boing! It's that time of year again. Fall. But we don't have leaves gently floating to the ground, we have ACORNS raining down like hail. And we have a bumper crop this year. We're almost afraid to stay outdoors right now what with the constant barrage. And they're not light little things either. I'm reminded of good ole Henny Penny thinking the sky was falling. If one of them hit me, I'd probably think that too.

Botanically speaking we live amongst Valley Oaks, Quercus lobata, the king of the white oaks. They once blanketed the whole Central Valley of California; but then came the farmers and then came the developers and whole groves were decimated. Now, thankfully, there are laws to protect them. When our neighborhood was developed over 50 years ago, they kept as many oaks as possible, even an old giant in the middle of the street. And as a result, our neighborhood is like a little oasis of green in the city. I love these old trees, but there are a few months of the year when the conditions are less than pleasant. October is one of them. But the acorns will be done falling soon and we can go back to basking in the serenity of living Amongst the Oaks.