Glenn, our lawn gets mowed weekly year-round, and I've still got roses blooming like mad. (I'll force them to rest a month or so before the major pruning next February.) I've been working in the garage/shop all afternoon with the overhead door open, and I'm getting ready to go wash two of our cars here in a minute. On the downside, the fire department has already been to the end of our cul-de-sac once today to make sure nobody's parking on the closed side of the street. (It's a red flag fire day due to dry winds, so one side of the street is closed to parking to allow fire equipment access.)
Here in the foothills above Los Angeles, we get a dusting of snow once in a blue moon, but more often than not it's way too "non-winterlike" for my taste. It's hard to get in the Christmas spirit when the Salvation Army bell-ringer guy is in a t-shirt and shorts.