My Love/Hate Relationship with the Fall Leaves

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

05 Nov 2008 10:21 AM

When fall first arrives, it brings great delight. The leaves change colors and descend, brightening up the yard and driveway with colors from nature, as though an artist's brush has painted the landscape. People travel from all over to the hot fall spots (we called these tourists "leaf peepers," when I lived in New England. (By the way, I am adamant that New England has the absolutely best display of fall leaf color. It is the combination of warm fall days and crisp cool nights that does it.)

Back in my single days in Connecticut, I really looked forward to raking the colorful leaves that snapped and crunched underfoot. Clearing an area to reveal the still-green grass was an accomplishment. The air was cool but not too cold, and the exercise was warranted. At least I felt this way while raking the front and side yards. Although I admit that he task and the leaves lost their color by the time I was halfway done.

The delight in the changing of the season soon wears off when you realize that someone (usually you) has to pick up all of those leaves, or at least move them out of the way. And while we now have a wooded property that doesn't require much raking, there is a patch of lawn, as well as a long driveway to contend with each fall.

Things have been made more complicated in the last few days. Rainy weather has made tons of leaves drop, with the added bonus of soaking them thoroughly, making leaf removal a real chore. They can't be blown away with a leaf blower, and the rake or the broom only catches so much of the soggy mess.

I tried to run out and get as many leaves up before the rains came, but this was futile. The electric leaf blower was hidden in a secret spot under the porch by my husband, and the stormy weather just brought more leaves anyway.

I still love the fall and the leaves when I am inside sipping my tea and making crafts with my kids out of foam maple leaves and foam orange pumpkins, but I also hate the task that awaits me out there in the real leaf world.

Check back for a future post when I make myself feel better by listing all of the ways that the fall leaves can be useful.

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, creating a home in the Home Blog and caring for little ones in the Baby Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.

Related Articles:

Woman of the Woods

3 Self-Reliant Ways to Be Frugal

When to Use a Leaf Blower

Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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Courtney Mroch (9169) 05 Nov 2008 04:01 PM

Those darn messy leaves! But it inspired you to write a very poetically worded blog, Mary Ann, so some good came out of it. ;)

Mary Ann Romans (26886) 05 Nov 2008 05:15 PM

Aw thanks Courtney. I have to tell you that we finally got all of those leaves up, only to get rain today, which brought down more leaves :)

jonesx6 (1606) 05 Nov 2008 07:44 PM

Out front of our house the leaves are everywhere. It's great when your son likes to blow the leaves everyday. lol Laura

Mary Ann Romans (26886) 06 Nov 2008 04:39 AM

I have some video of Molly using a small leave blower (really a piece of a shop vac). It is so cute.

Tashi (1013) 06 Nov 2008 06:58 AM

Btw, cool new picture, Mary Ann! :-) I love the fall leaves too. For the most part. Here in the land of Prince and megamalls, it gets so beautiful when Fall comes. But the trees right outside my office are pretty bare right now, yikes. You know what's coming! Granted, the cleanup of the leaves can be a chore. But I think it's MUCH better than shoveling snow. I once visited a close friend of mine out east. She and I and a few others raked leaves in her yards. It remains one of the most memorable, special times of my life, and in such a gorgeous part of (also) New England. If I could, I'd go back out east to visit her and her family right now, to help once again raking leaves. For free. Well, maaaybe for just a cup of hot cocoa. ;-)

Mary Ann Romans (26886) 06 Nov 2008 10:56 AM

How long is the fall season there--I mean the time from when the leaves turn color until they are bare?

Tashi (1013) 06 Nov 2008 04:59 PM

The leaves started changing late in maybe September. Can't recall for sure. Fall lasts about 3 months, progressing faster and faster, once leaves start dropping. The trees outside of my office that I referred to, are not the same as all the others in the area. So, there are still leaf-toting trees. But barely hangin on. They all should be bare by the end of November-early December, for sure.

Samual (11722) 08 Nov 2008 04:53 AM

Autumn will be over soon here, if we have leaves on the paths or driveway we put them in the compost heap, but any on the soil or grass we leave so they can fertilise the land they fall on. All of our trees are bare here

Mary Ann Romans (26886) 08 Nov 2008 05:35 AM

I would say were are about peak or slightly past here.