Making leaf progress

I know I only post about leaves, but they have overwhelmed our lives these last four weeks. Yesterday I was out working on the front lawn for the fifth full "sweep," only to discover that I had inadvertently locked myself out of the house even though I'd been in and out earlier in the day with the Thanksgiving groceries. I had to wait in the cold car in the cold garage until Chuck was finished teaching and find a kind neighbor who let me into his house to call him to come home and let me in. It took hours for my feet to warm up afterwards. Today we (together--like much in life, raking leaves is more productive if people work together) made progress on the back. A final mulching with our blower/mulcher machine around the garden and pond and then hand bagging unmulched leaves across the middle of the back. The picture shows the 15 bags sitting at the side of the house waiting to join the 39 bags we have already brought to the leaf dump. At the back of the picture you can see the remaining leaves. We are hoping just to mulch those with the mower (with me going ahead with a rake so as to prevent the mower hitting hidden tree stumps) and let them enrich the soil all winter. Oh, and remove the netting holding many frozen leaves on the pond and drain it. Maybe we'll be done by Thanksgiving. Otherwise our guests may find themselves raking for the supper...no, just kidding.

The Leaves Fall on the Just and on the Unjust

I could be posting about the election this morning, but I spent only a little of my time voting yesterday and a lot more time raking, mulching and bagging leaves. We are experiencing another gorgeous day today (as the woman who did the Bible teaching this morning said, 'Al Gore, if this is global warming, it isn't all bad.') and so I arrived home from B.S. to tackle the yard work once again. Only this is what greeted me as I looked at the back yard. Oh my. That's a pond and waterfall under there, in case you didn't realize it! I don't think there's any way we can do this by ourselves. Chuck said to work in the front and side yards instead. And the leaves are not all down yet (though they sure made significant progress this morning). Any of my readers who wants can take the title as a metaphor for our political situation though God's sovereignty over the process is certainly a blessed reality.

Perfect Fall Weekend

How beautiful it has been. Our neighbor said it's a once in twenty years Halloween. I had the day care behind us come past on their parade, complete with cute costumes and beaming parents, carrying their cameras. Karen was able to pass out candy to the trick or treaters later on, something she has missed for many years. We began working on leaf cleanup in the back yard and continued that today, filling huge leaf bags with the contents of our leaf shredder. If only the Kentwood leaf dump had been open when we brought a few over! Karen played with her cousin Claire while I worked (and Chuck left to go over to Holland to watch Hope and Calvin's soccer teams play to a tie). Karen sighed with happiness, "A perfect day." Here are a few pictures that can't begin to capture the golden glow of two perfect fall days.