Friday 5 November 2010

Autumn Leaves


Autumn is officially here. How do I know this? Well, the week has involved pretty much nothing else but leaf clearing. Of course, there has been the odd Acacia dealbata to plant, autumn lawn feed to put down and nine thousand pansies to plant, but 99% of the time has seen me fed up and cursing as I attempt to blow leaves during what must have been the windiest week on record. Two trailer loads already, at one and a half tons each, and I am sat here in my living room with the laptop and a cup of tea, and thinking of the two giant and tree covered properties that I have to go to today as I look at the trees in my neighbourhood being blown left and right in yet another windy day. It may seem odd to get so wound up about leaf clearing, but let me tell you that because of the scale of the work, and how difficult leaf blowing is in this weather, it has reduced both myself and Amanda to tears, had blowers removed from shoulders and thrown (Amanda could have entered the javelin throwing at the olympics with the distance she once got when launching a hand held blower some years ago during a stormy day), and even resulted in just simply calling the day off. I've created the opening picture out of some leaves in our garden. Fresh and happy leaves that for me still hint at what was a few weeks back. Gone, for the time being at least, is the love of the glorious autumn hues that adorned our trees in this part of the world, and in it's place a hatred of these brown and wet evil monsters that sit there until I come along with the blower, and only at that point do they fly up in the air and go in any direction other than the one I am trying to send them in. Very, very rarely the wind blows in the same direction as that in which I am blowing.....Bliss!! Also, as I consider it a must to have a clean van cab, throughout the year this has been spotless and always smelled of lavender (girly I know, but I like the cleaning product that I use to wipe down). Now it has taken on a certain dank mustiness that for the next few weeks will be impossible to clear.
Enough self pity, for now anyway........IT'S FIREWORK NIGHT TONIGHT!

6 comments:

  1. Leaves, eh? Can't live with them; can't live without them.

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  2. Hi Mr IG,
    Lolol.....in my case at the moment, can't live with them; can live without them. Thanks for dropping by.

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  3. I like your leaf scan. Good colors!
    What little lawn we have, couldn't hold a leaf if it tried--too much wind keeping it clear. Leaves are welcome every where else although we don't have enough large trees for them to build up much.

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  4. I shouldn't say this...but I do miss seeing piles of fallen leaves (don't throw the leaf blower at me please.) The only ones that seem to fall here are those from palm trees, usually when there is a heavy wind. They can do some damage if they land on your car or roof. Yes I miss some of that autumn weather, but only now and then. Nine thousand pansies ?????? Please take a photo and post that for us to see. :-)
    Cheers, Sharon.

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  5. Hi Gary - me too. It's been leaves and more leaves that I could no longer put off leaving! Enjoy the fireworks - I like your explosive coloured leaf collage

    Laura

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  6. I've got three large walnut trees that form a great canopy over the parking area during summer. Then they drop their leaves!

    I spent hours raking them into piles yesterday, the leaf blower has trouble lifting them unless they're dry, and today the skies opened before I've had a chance to cart them down to the area where I stack them to rot down. Each pile's going to weigh a ton now, sodden, musty leaves,all to shift, great leaf mold for next year though!

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