Pat, This area is "usually" pleasant in October-November. Of course, October is when the Fall rains tend to move in so it's sometimes wet and dreary. Seems the rains move in about the time the leaves turn and it rains hard enough the leaves fall before we get to enjoy the color. Actually, Fall is my favorite time of year and I could live with the color for weeks (months!) so I might be a little critical of the rain! As for the sprinkler system, I hope your hubby isn't like mine. He simply laid 1/2" pipe all over the yard---and didn't bother to bury it! He said it would eventually work it's way into the ground---maybe, but not in my lifetime! (The grass has grown over the pipe and it's barely noticable anymore.) It is nice not to have to move hose pipes or carry water and he was good enough to install several valves so I can water sections at a time---and he put hose bibbs at the end of each section so I could hook up a hose if I need to or he can add on to the "system" if he needs to. (Gary plants things all over the yard instead of in "beds" so it makes watering difficult.) Sandy