# Christmas in California



## Candace (Dec 5, 2009)

A couple of my Christmas Palms. Monkey Girl was busy up on a ladder again today. We got the tree up and decorated today too. It was only 55 today. Brrr...  I made us all hot chocolate and I was wearing a heavy parka while putting the giant bulbs on the Butia capitata. The segos are much easier since they're my height.


65 (ish) year old Butia capitata






One of the smaller segos


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## Ernie (Dec 5, 2009)

From all of us here in Chicago... bite me, Heather. We've entered our deep freeze. See you in April or May when the ice thaws. Nice to have a warm, humid, "sunny" grow range to retreat to. 

-Ernie


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## rdhed (Dec 5, 2009)

I second the "BITE ME"...right now it's 27 degrees and 18 degree wind chill here...now that is heavy parka weather you light weight.

--Allen--


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## SlipperFan (Dec 5, 2009)

55º? Here, it's not gotten above freezing today! I'll trade you!


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## goldenrose (Dec 5, 2009)

WHAAAT a *heavy parka* at 55 degrees?!! I'm outside training my dogs & giving lessons in a long sleeve T shirt, jeans & a fleece top, which was beginning to get too hot!


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## Candace (Dec 5, 2009)

> now that is heavy parka weather you light weight.



Yeah, but I'm thin so I'm always freezing! And the wind chill must have made it a cool 50 degrees. :evil:


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## SlipperKing (Dec 5, 2009)

We had snow fluries on Fri mixed with a bit of rain. Saturday morning there was ice on everything, burrrr.. It snowed one day last year too. It must be global warming!


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## Yoyo_Jo (Dec 6, 2009)

oh my god, I can't stand it. We've been under heavy snow/blizzard conditions over our whole province for two days. oke: And you had to put a parka on for 55 F??? 

(Your palms look very cool with all the bling, btw).


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## JeanLux (Dec 6, 2009)

rain and clouds in Luxembourg since several days !!! 2 - 8 Celsius! Jean


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## Scooby5757 (Dec 6, 2009)

snow in jersey....


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## NYEric (Dec 6, 2009)

You wuss! The cold give you character!!


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## Heather (Dec 6, 2009)

Ernie said:


> From all of us here in Chicago... bite me, Heather. We've entered our deep freeze. See you in April or May when the ice thaws. Nice to have a warm, humid, "sunny" grow range to retreat to.
> 
> -Ernie



Hey! I wasn't gloating bout the weather here!
Tho Kami has been telling me I'm finally becoming a native cause I'm cold all the time in the evenings and it is still above freezing. 

I'm kind of having a hard time getting into Christmas with no snow, actually and am jeaous of the rest of you!

Candace, the palms look great! Where'd you get your tree? We are going on that mission today.


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## Candace (Dec 6, 2009)

> Candace, the palms look great! Where'd you get your tree? We are going on that mission today.



For years we used to go to Christmas tree lots and cut our own. But, my allergist found out about that and had a fit. It makes sense that the trees harbor all kinds of pollens, molds etc. So, I bought an artificial tree about 3 or 4 years ago. 

If you want to do a cut your own thing, look in the Sacramento Bee. There are tons of ads this time of year. There are a few places pretty close to Elk Grove unless they've gone out of business.


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## etex (Dec 6, 2009)

Candace- Awesome palms!! The weather has been cold here. We had snow on Friday and heavy freeze with ice Friday night. Not typical Texas weather!


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## nikv (Dec 6, 2009)

Christmas in California? Feliz Navidad!


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## smartie2000 (Dec 6, 2009)

Your photos are funny :rollhappy:

The weather is better today, but it was hell in Alberta Canada. non-stop winds and record breaking snows. OK I could deal with snow, but not the wind. Shovel...wind blows back on sidewalk


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## parvi_17 (Dec 6, 2009)

I should post a photo of the 4-foot pile of snow on each side of my driveway!


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## KyushuCalanthe (Dec 6, 2009)

Candace, 

Your pics remind me of my first Christmas in Miami back in '81. I had just moved from NY and I was totally floored to see lights strung all over tropical palms, ficus, and so on. I was further floored by people wearing down filled jackets at 45 F....I laughed my ass in fact off since come mid winter thaw, that was tee shirt weather on a sunny day in mid January up in NY.

Today we almost got down to freezing here in southern Japan - the thermometer read 1.9 C (~35 F) this morning and crystalline frost was on the vegetable patch across the street. Winter is almost here!


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## Candace (Dec 6, 2009)

> I was further floored by people wearing down filled jackets at 45 F



Then you would have laughed hard. I've been wearing my down filled parka the last few days!


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## NYEric (Dec 6, 2009)

It's getting cold in NYC area finally. 20's - 30's!


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## Heather (Dec 7, 2009)

You'll all be happy to hear it may snow here tonight….

Candace - thanks for the hints. We were going to maybe cut our own but when the weather looked iffy for tomorrow, ended up with one from one of the lots in town. We'll see how it looks all tricked out tomorrow.


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## Candace (Dec 7, 2009)

It hasn't snowed here in Elk Grove in like 15 years so I knew the odds were against it. And even then it fell to the ground and melted. I guess we've still got a few more hours left that we could see a few flakes. Though I hear some neighboring towns actually saw some white stuff. We covered our smaller citrus trees last night and were out until near dark on a horse ranch helping friends. So, we were all bundled up in our gloves, hats, parkas etc. because it had to be in the 40's ;> I was born and raised in MA but you'd never know it, now. I am a wuss.


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## cnycharles (Dec 7, 2009)

my aunt who grew up and after married lived in ny then upstate on a farm, now has to have the furnace running even in summer if the temps get below 60˚. of course this is after they have spent three winters down in florida! of course maybe the age factor helps as well. can't swim in pool if the water is below 78-80 even! (i'm sure i'll end up the same way someday...)


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## swamprad (Dec 7, 2009)

Candace, how I wish I lived in California! Even here in reasonably temperate Memphis, the charm of the cold weather has worn off after about 2 days or so. Can't wait for summer!


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## Ruth (Dec 8, 2009)

Brrrr!!! The weatherman just said it was going to get to -7 tonight here in Boise, ID.


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## lipelgas (Dec 16, 2009)

today's forecast: -27 degree (C) for night. right now - quite warm, only -15 degree.


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## biothanasis (Dec 16, 2009)

Cool!!!

Here we have ~10oC (± 3oC)! Lot's of rain the last days!


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## Candace (Dec 23, 2009)

Some more pics of Christmas time in CA. 

Persimmons or oranges anyone?


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## Shiva (Dec 23, 2009)

Parka? 55F? I could send you my banana tree for the winter. I'd go too, but I really like the mind numbing cold and shoveling tons of snow. We get these kinds of temps in Spring and everybody is drinking cold beer outside on restaurant terraces.


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## smartie2000 (Dec 23, 2009)

yummy!! Persimmons. i'm so jealous, persimmons are delicious and trees are so beautiful


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## Yoyo_Jo (Dec 23, 2009)

"_I'm dreaming of an* orange *Christmas, just like the ones I used to know..._'


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## cnycharles (Dec 23, 2009)

nothing like fresh orange juice straight from the tree!


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## TyroneGenade (Dec 24, 2009)

Sadly, the orange season has passed over here in Sunny South Africa. We will have to settle with 30 deg C (80+ deg F) Christmas day and enjoy a big lunch of various cold meats or a BBQ. After we have stuffed ourselves more greedily than we were generous to the turkey we will congregate around the pool (or on the beach) and wait a very long 30 minutes before we can have swim and cool down.

Personally, I'm not fond of turkey and prefer the lamb as well as celebrate a little merry crispmas with with roast pork. 

Merry Christmas!


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## Clark (Dec 24, 2009)

Someone mention a cold beer?
Nice fruit Candace!


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## Gilda (Dec 24, 2009)

I am green with envy ! I don't like cold, snow and was suppose to spend winters in Fl when hubby retired....That was before orchids....hard to haul 500 orchids to FL. !
Candace thanks for sharing your "warm" Christmas ! Just beautiful !:clap:


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## Candace (Dec 24, 2009)

Too bad I don't like persimmons. And not many people we know love them, either. DH puts them in the dehydrator, but he can't eat them all.


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## cnycharles (Dec 24, 2009)

TyroneGenade said:


> Personally, I'm not fond of turkey and prefer the lamb as well as celebrate a little merry crispmas with with roast pork.



ever tried a crown roast of pork with oyster,apricot and cornbread (amongst other things) stuffing inside? not exactly a barbecue item, but it's very good!

I like persimmon juice alot, but it looks like it would be a lot of work to squeeze enough to get a glassful. it is expensive in the store, too


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## NYEric (Dec 24, 2009)

Nice, but you know you miss the snow!


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## cnycharles (Jan 5, 2010)

Hello Candace,
Was looking through a baking cookbook the other day and found three different recipes that use persimmons. I haven't tried them since I don't have access to them that much, but they are in the 'favorite recipes megathread' if you or anyone else wants to check them out


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## SlipperFan (Jan 5, 2010)

Gilda said:


> I am green with envy ! I don't like cold, snow and was suppose to spend winters in Fl when hubby retired....That was before orchids....hard to haul 500 orchids to FL. !



Are we twins???


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## NYEric (Jan 6, 2010)

Dot and Gilda, you guys can do the snowbird thing; just let your plants board w/ me!! :evil:


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## SlipperFan (Jan 6, 2010)

NYEric said:


> Dot and Gilda, you guys can do the snowbird thing; just let your plants board w/ me!! :evil:



You got room for a thousand more plants??? oke:


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