The Tropical Paradise in winter

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Winter is tourist season here in the desert. But for my winter visitors, they will have to "work on their tan" somewhere else. The olive tree at this time of year is casting a shadow pretty much across the whole north part of the yard. This used to be a problem years ago when the grass was real, causing dead spots and places with mud. The artificial turf has no such problems. It is a walkable surface any time of the year. Another advantage is that I don't have to mow it, which created noise and dust.

The only watering that I need to do in the winter, that is, from November to May, is by hand. The watering system is shut off. I water the daffodils with the watering can every once in a while, and I hose off the artificial turf occasionally, but that's all. Water is precious in the desert, but that doesn't mean that I have to stare at gravel and concrete! Macintosh, the good little wiener dog, likes it, too.

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