A Never-ending Saga

It begins in the spring with beautiful blossoms on the non-fruit bearing pear tree. I love this tree. So pretty and so well shaped even if the trunk is slanted due to strong winds.

It is very green in the summer and provides a lot of shade…then fall arrives with the changing of colors.  Still, it is a beautiful tree, still providing shade.

Frosts happen and then 40 to 60 mph winds blast the poor tree, causing it to lose many of its leaves.  A thick carpet of leaves coats the lawn to the point of not being able to see the lawn.  Finally, it was warm enough to get out to begin the raking.

Yes, it’s been down to single digits, causing the birdbaths and water tins to freeze solid. It was warm enough yesterday to extract these disks. I like it when the leaves get frozen in the disks and add a bit of artistic value to the disks. 

It becomes imperative to rake the leaves because with the ice, snow and maybe some rain, the leaves spoil and hurt the lawn. It did this around the edges before I could get out to rake.  Yes, I know many little bugs and other creatures live in the leaves.  But there are still many leaves in the rocks under which they can live.

Two and 3/4 trash bags stomped on and crushed to make more room in the bags.  The trash barrel was filled as I went around the corner where more leaves had secreted themselves.

All done in the yard. No, it is not spotless. Note the leaves still on the tree. I know strong breezes will hit us again today and more leaves will fall, thus creating another raking job. The pear tree is very reluctant to let go of the remaining leaves as if it knows it will be bare soon and doesn’t want to be totally naked in the coming very cold weather. But it will lose its battle against Mother Nature.

Leaves are falling again, but they are not apparent in this photo.  You can see the beginning of the lawn being covered once again, thus continuing the raking saga that occurs every fall.