Hank, that transition from fall to spring pruning can be shock to the system. It doesn't only apply to roses, it's across the board; don't cut back perennials, ornamental grasses, etc, in the fall, either. Like GardenFish said, aside from basic deadheading, leave all of the dead top growth as insulation for the plants over the the winter. One of my first gardening lessons several (many) decades ago in Northern California was the importance—and ritual, even—of "fall cleanup." Even now, having lived in a freezing zone for 9 years, I still have to resist the urge to cut everything back in the fall. Good luck in your new gardening environment
