Green grass is nice. One of the big differences that Myranda and I noticed when we moved up here is that everything turns brown in winter. At home our grass was like yours - unless it was without rain. It's nice to go home and see all the green when it's so brown and dead looking up here. Also, we have a lot of junipers back home -- so there's always green even if the grass dries out. I miss that.
One of the nice things I liked when I bought this house though is that it has some kind of juniper growing in the front yard. (I'm not familiar with this variety but I like it.) Junipers aren't common here but at least I have one green tree in my yard all the time. And I know you don't typically get into our gardening discussions but I also dug up a small rosemary that a friend had given Myranda from the old place. EVERYONE here told me rosemary would not make it through the winters here. I planted it on the south-east-most corner of the house and it has thrived! It is HUGH!!! So, I have that green out front also.