More little signs that Fall has arrived in Tucson

There are several signs that it's Fall in the Tucson area. Besides the gorgeous night time temperatures (low 50's), November brings several clues that better weather (then the rest of the nation anyway) has arrived -

- Out of state license plates are everywhere, so that can only mean the snowbirds have arrived! Snowbirds are what those of us living in Arizona and California call our seasonal residents that move to the area for the winter. Yesterday I saw plates from New York, Wisconsin, Quebec, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan and Oregon all within an afternoon's car ride. The arrival of snowbirds is a sure sign that winter is on it's way!

- No matter where you are in town, right now you'll see cyclists gearing up for the El Tour de Tucson race that takes places here on Saturday, November 17. From August to mid November everyone has got to watch their step to avoid colliding with the packs of cyclists on the roads. I encounter this a lot when I'm running in the morning. Running in Oro Valley you'll come across several cyclists for each block of roadway. Most cyclists are friendly enough if you're courteous to them and get out of their way, but you've got to be careful; I've come across some that scream obscenities at anyone in their path. Must be fatigue and overexertion from training!

- The Javelinas have been attacking our pumpkins again! Javelinas are present throughout the year, but you really begin to see them around Halloween when homeowners leave pumpkins out. Just last night a Javelina knocked over our patio table and broke a potted plant in his (or her) attempt to confiscate the decorative pumpkins we had on the table. It was quite the site as my husband ran out the front door and screamed when he saw the 150 pound creature staring up at him!