Fall is here. The sun is moving towards the edge of the frame where, in just a few weeks it will hit the bumper rail and start back towards the other side of the frame. That "ping" on the edge will signal the beginning of Winter. This week has been very "fall" and I've been raking leaves. Down the road, I hear my neighbor with his gas powered blower moving leaves around. Pushing them from the bank along the road into the road, then moving on to the next place where the wind has annoyingly (naturally?) placed more leaves. I smile as I drive by and see the wind gust and put leave back where it originally had them, on the bank next to the fence.
For me, raking leaves is many things. It's something that is a chore, that I choose to do. Living in the country I do have the option to just leave them where they are. There are no neighbors who monitor my yard, no Home Owners Association that sets the standard of only so many stray leaves per square foot on grass that is only 1.5" tall. I can, if I choose, let them wander over the yard and pile up where the wind and some obstruction stop them.
I can also just run over them with the lawn mower and send them to the ground as mulch. But there is also value in raking them. Actually the value is multi-faceted. Maybe you don't agree. But let me explain my point of view.
Leaves are amazing. Raking is good exercise. Raking is nostalgic for boomers, who made money doing it before there were lawn services with blowers and leaf rakes on mowers, even before there were baggers on push mowers. Raking resulted in sweat and money.
Raking the largest pile of leaves we could then jumping in them and scattering them was fun, that can only be explained by experience. And at the end of the day, after all the raking was done, and maybe supper was over, dusk settling, the piles would be set on fire. There in the glow of a crackling fire, with the cold night at our backs we would poke sticks in the flames causing sparks to rise, knowing that tomorrow, there might be snow.
What a happy article to read as I sip my morning cup of coffee.
ReplyDeleteRaking leaves has been quite the chore for so many in my neighborhood these last few weeks. I'm fortunate to live where most people have a Maple tree in the front (and sometimes back) yard. Beautiful in September and October with colors ranging from sunflower yellow, brilliant red to deep, dark burgundy- glorious colors to view as I walk the dogs.
Come November those leaves lose their luster lying on the ground. Somehow, what was viewed as beauty just a few weeks before, looks like "work" now as the clean-up begins.
For me, raking leaves is a bit like sweeping floors with an old fashion broom- methodical and meditative. If only the job wasn't so big. For a bit of time, it's great. But then, I get that itch to go do something more fun and resort to those mechanical ways of cleaning, whether it's leaves or floors.
Such is life, I guess. Work to be done. Happy that we can use those "old fashion" ways when it fits our mood, then bring out the power tools when we just want to "get "er done".