Today would have been my mother’s 74th birthday. When she turned 70, we had a huge birthday party for her in the desert. My stepdad took 9 women to dinner with him and the waiter – always looking for a good tip – wanted to know just how he managed to get such a harem of women.

I would always take autumn photos for her as the desert doesn’t change colors much. Yes, as the temperatures are a bit lower, different flowers bloom but it is nothing like the fall colors she grew up with in upstate New York.

Yesterday, in between rain and wind, I went out with my point and shoot as my Nikon is still in the hands of the state police from my July break-in. Here is a bit of what fall – very late fall – looks like where I live.