There's an enormously gigantic tree in our neighbor's back yard whose ancient branches grow over one whole side of our house. I'm not sure what kind of tree it is -- but it sheds mountains of little pod-like things in the spring. And in the fall it drops 47 billion trillion leaves in our front yard and side yard and back yard and patio and on the roof of the peace chapel and the roof the garage and the roof of the house. The leaves get all clogged up in a wet soppy mess in the rain gutters and they're slippery and dangerous on the front path.Last year the three of us spent most of November raking up those 47 billion trillion leaves. And that is because I live with two women who go berserk at the mention of a leaf blower. "I HATE leaf blowers!!" Nancy yells every time I suggest buying one or renting one or finding a kid whose dad has one and hiring him.
"I HATE leaf blowers!!" Judy parrots. Nancy and Judy are sisters from a different mother. I'm sure of it.
"How can you hate a piece of machinery?" I counter. "It has a function and it does it well and quickly. Leaf blowers are our FRIEND."
"We HATE leaf blowers!!" Judy and Nancy bellow. "They're evil," Nancy hisses. "Evil," Judy snorts.
And so, in approximately six weeks, the three of us will once again be spending five hours every day in the freezy-blowy cold raking up leaves from the neighbor's tree because ours is a democratic household -- two against one -- and leaf blowers are evil.
What about being gone one day a week that is designated as "leaf blower day". Then Nancy and Judy could happily blow the leaves and stash the leaf blower and you could play like you thought a big wind came through. I used to rake oak and maple leaves every weekend of the fall in our big back yard in Missouri. Piles of yellow and red and that peach orange maples can turn.There was something nice about it. It was part of our chores. My Dad would be in charge of the burning. My brother and I would rake them on to a blanket and carry them over to the fire. I'd gladly do it again all fall if I could hang out with the two of them. They are raking leaves in the great beyond now or maybe they are blowing them. I like that image and when the wind blows and swirls the leaves this fall, I'm going to imagine it's Dad and Ray. Thanks for jogging my memory.
ReplyDeleteHow about paying some youth to do the task? thereby creating jobs & community?
ReplyDeleteIt may call on another part of your personalities, can that be so bad?
It could be more fodder for story telling as well.