They watched the old mesquite

 It’s February, and temperatures are in the mid-80s.

It’s almost too hot to plow. You can see how the early settlers who were trying to make a living farming might have gotten confused.

I’d be tempted to plant. If it’s not safe to plant when the highs are in the 80s and overnight lows are in the 60s, what kind of place is this?

It's the kind of place that might see a freeze next week.

The old timers advised against planting too soon. Watch the old mesquite, they’d say. Not the young trees, which are young and foolish. The old mesquite. When those ancient trees start to put out leaves, it’s safe to plant.