Saturday, November 08, 2008

Too Much of a Good Thing--Again

(Photo above I took from the deck yesterday evening as the sun was setting across the river and my weary body was screaming for rest. Click on photo to see the details of the last of our fall beauty.)

I have taken dozens and dozens of pictures in the yard this fall as the season peaks. The variety of tree species complimented by the diverse fall colors have been most obvious this fall, and the peak beauty has been more exciting than I have noticed in the past.

Since all good things must come to an end, the prior night's wet winds brought millions of leaves to carpet everywhere. The weather yesterday was in the 70's and we knew we had to get the leaves off of the the driveway and the lawn before the coming front that would bring more leaves and more rain. We had to use our non-environmental leaf blower because the new lawn was still too wet and soft to walk on and rake and the gravel driveway does not lend itself to raking.

I created large snake-like drifts of leaves in places down the long winding driveway and these we captured and put into a metal garbage can. They were broken down with the weed eater into a wonderful rich nutrition that was added to the newly created raised garden beds that now await the birth of spring. Hubby is so excited about this humus rich black gold that we have created that he cannot walk down the driveway without stopping to enjoy the results of his many days of labor.

Since the ticks are dormant we can wade into the 'jungle' and clear the non-indigenous wild rose that strangles everything in its way climbing high into 30 foot trees. Even though I covered my body in loose clothing and wore jeans, the tiny tenacious thorns at the ends of the branches would fly over my head and bite me in the butt, pull off my cap, and tangle my hair as I pulled them away into the open areas. I also fought with the green briar (such a lovely name for such a nasty plant). I now look as though I had fought with a wild cat---so glad I do not care about that stuff.

The day before, we had created a large and very warm brush fire with all the downed limbs and weeds we had cleared. Yesterday flew by too fast for us to start on that project once again, but now the holly, dogwood, linden trees and other plants are free to breathe once again and we have space to put in our plastic net deer fence around the perimeter. The deer have mowed the mums and trimmed my pyracantha hedge and the low growth of the new hybrid dogwood. While I spray deer repellent it has become a careful dance between them and us as their fall food cache diminishes.

I awoke this morning to another carpet of leaves almost as dense as the one we cleared yesterday! Some times I think mother nature is too rich for me.

6 comments:

  1. We are fighting the same battle. The leaves are all cleared and/or mulched and the next thing you know, they are back. We were planning to burn today but it is freezing cold and the wind is really blowing hard.

    Love your photograph!

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  2. Did you ever think before retirement that you would be working so hard AFTER retirement.
    LOL

    Didn't get to visit your blog until now because I have been having problems with all my non-Blogger account friends either not being able to access my blog or not being able to leave comments.
    Has your blog here on Blogger been acting up today also?
    Bear((( )))

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  3. Bear, it was acting up for a short while...but I sometimes loose access to the Internet for a while!

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  4. oh, the photograph is breath-taking, tabor! such a beautiful autumn you have had.

    work, work, work - that is what happens when you care about the landscape. but, isn't it therapeutic in many ways?! such a nice payday, too, when the gardens begin to show the investment you have made!

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  5. The scene from the deck is breathe taking...

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  6. I have given up on the leaves. Our new grass may suffer, but it will have to be.

    If you get bored of no yard work when you are finished at your house, come here - there's plenty to do!

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Take your time...take a deep breath...then hit me with your best shot.