Raking leaves is a part of fall I hate, especially when they're wet and heavy. They clump together like old newspapers left out
in the rain. The only benefit to wet leaves is that they pack into bags better.
Condensed and flat, you can get twice as many in a paper sack. The cheap bags
will soak through every time. Dry leaves are light and crunchy but tough to cram in. Here in Oklahoma we use plastic bags instead of
those tall square paper bags doubled up like grocery sacks. They're clear as well instead of black; I guess so they can tell if you stuffed any paint cans or
used motor oil in there. Not sure why we don’t use the giant paper ones. I've never been able to find them.
So yesterday was my twice yearly rake-a-thon. Why twice? Because
the front yard trees drop leaves before the back. When I first moved here I
raked and bagged, almost always at Thanksgiving because most trees are still full before that. In Illinois I’m sure the leaves changed color much quicker but I’m
not sure how much. My guess is 3 weeks. But even with the faster change
in season, we still worked right up till Thanksgiving for landscaping. Most of
the work was done by early November but my boss always kept a few customers
back until very late.
The first year that I moved to Oklahoma I raked it the
typical way, small piles strewn around. Then I walked pile to pile and packed
the bags as tight as possible trying not to poke holes through the sides with
twigs. It’s exhausting as everyone knows.
The second year I took the lawnmower over the leaves and
make a few passes to mulch them up. Overall the mower is easier but not much
quicker, less bending over. But my mower is old and doesn’t plow through as
well, it smokes and belches like an old Ford Pinto. I can’t pick it up with the
catcher either. It’s a pitifully small net that fills up in two passes. I don’t
want to stop the mower every time and empty the bag.
This year I went back to raking little piles and scooping
them into plastic bags with both arms. Until I get a larger mower I expect I’ll
do it this way. The back yard will be ready in about a week, maybe a little
more.
It’s funny how some
things get easier as you get older. You figure out work arounds, shortcuts and
best practices. It doesn't seem to apply with raking leaves. I tried using my brother’s leaf blower as well.
It didn’t help. I’m a bit of a novice with the blower so that probably added to the longer than usual time. But it took the same amount of
time as using the rake.
So why all all the bellyaching about a routine chore every
year? I only really got one day off this week and half the day (exaggeration)
was spend working on the yard. I think I still have this childish notion that I
should get, no “deserve”, a full uninterrupted day of football games on TV and
maybe a nap. It’s silly I know. We aren’t promised any free time or ‘just
taking it easy type days’ no matter how much we want them.
Friday night and Saturday were taking up with a weekend
church thing, the culmination of a men’s group that had a retreat feel. You
know the kind, soul searching, finding purpose and dedicating yourself to ‘better’.
I hope I’m not being flip. It’s a true joy being with like-minded purpose
driven men and women. But it does cost something in time. Worth it for sure.
Something tells me I’ll get the time back. God is good that
way.
“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of
wisdom” (Psalm 90:12 ESV)
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