I have lived in FL since 1983—flew here from L.A. to look after my ailing parents. It was mid-September, hot and muggy (hot, dry and windy in LA, but a big difference nonetheless). Since then, every fall I await that one day in October when the relentless heat and humidity takes a break, for that one day when one knows the Florida summer is finally over! Every year it arrives, but usually in much earlier October than it did this year. Where I live it was the day before yesterday—I had to don my winter robe when I awoke.

Yesterday I ventured out to get my winter gardening items: 4 different kinds of salad greens, 2 tomato plants (I grew seedlings for 2 other varieties that did well last year), and a few herbs to replace the ones that had gotten old and woody or buggy. Last week my husband took me to get a new load of fresh potting soil in bulk (it takes a pickup truck!) and today I will wash out my fabric 15 gal. pots for the toms and my clay pots for the new herbs. Despite the backache I'm sure to have, I will be in 7th heaven once every thing is planted, and making salad for dinner will require only a trip into the yard (usually in the dark!) with scissors to reap the bounty of winter in Florida.

Anyone else celebrating the end of the seemingly endless FL summer? Depending on where in FL one lives, perhaps you have very different winter rituals than do I.