Fall Leaves

Fall is one of Chris M.'s favorite seasons. I enjoy the change of the colors of the leaves, the smells, the change in the temperature, and, really, the cycle of life that ends in the fall.

One of the most obvious signs of the change of seasons are the piles of leaves that cover just about everything -- the roof, the driveway, the grass and even out into the street. One of the things about this home that we really liked when we looked at it was the fact that it had a lot of different types of trees surrounding it -- both in the front and the back.

The trees provide a lot of shade in the summer, but due to the way the sunlight comes in, we get a lot of light in the morning and the late afternoon. Chris J. really enjoyed that streaming in light! Of course, the light increases in some ways during the winter, as the trees shed their leaves. Even though the days are shorter, the lack of leaves allow more of the light to get through.

One of the results of all of these trees is that there are a lot to rake! Using a combination of the leaf blower and the rake (and even the snow shovel!), I collected up all of the leaves in the front yard so that the composting/recycling people can come and pick them up this week. The result looks a little like the piles of snow we had last winter around here. Luckily these leaves are much easier to move around, and it is not nearly cold enough for snow ... yet ...