Downside of all those falling leaves

It’s that time of year once again, when the days have grown short, there’s a chill in the air and approximately 2.6 million leaves have fallen into my yard.

Recall my reporting last spring that I axed the mow and blow crew that had been taking care of my yard for the last decade? I labored through the spring and summer and just a few weeks ago puttered my way around my balding property – the summer heat long ago killed off my fescue comb over.

It was a grand feeling knowing, I thought, that once I dusted off my mower and put away the hedger, edger and weed-whacker that I’d be free to spend my time leisurely this fall and winter. Just maybe there’d be time to do a little reading, watch some TV or venture off to the local multiplex for an afternoon movie. Heck, maybe I’d have time to take a nap. Wrong!

There might not be a poem as lovely as a tree, but there’s absolutely nothing poetic about a yard filled with soggy leaves. Those bits of gold and yellow that are oh-so beautiful to see from the distance, quickly turn a nasty brown once on the ground.

Spending a few hours raking today, knowing that another million or so leaves are just waiting for a strong gust of wind before raining down on my yard, makes the effort seem sort of pointless. It was left to my daughter, the lovely and talented Lauren, to remind me that once upon a time this autumn chore was fun for us – us, in this case, meaning her.

As I recall, I’d stay busy raking together piles of leaves and young Lauren would then pretty much undo my work by jumping around in the piles. Truth to tale, I wish I had a time machine and could relive those moments again, if only for an instant.

Meanwhile, I’m thinking of hiring a landscaper to help me make my lawn completely natural. Only problem I’m having is I can’t decide whether to replace the grass with Astroturf or concrete and the pine trees and hardwoods with plastic towers. Who said you can’t improve on Mother Nature!