Leaves - Colorful Memories Of Michigan In The Fall
Falling red, yellow, orange, burgundy, (yes, oak trees turn brownish burgundy) leaves are a part of my family's progression of life.
As a teenager, I remember a contraption that my stepfather bought that you pushed across your leaf filled lawn and it swept up the colors into a rear mounted pan. It got so heavy.
After marriage, raking leaves was a fun thing to do on a weekend, especially since it was our own leaves at our home. Our year old daughter had her own little rake and looked so cute when we stood her up in a can of leaves peeking out the top.
When we moved to a new subdivision with no trees, we helped my mom rake her leaves at her house and brought bags of leaves home and dumped them so the kiddos could jump in them. I even filled orange pumpkin Halloween bags and placed them on our leafless lawn. I had to do this all over again for my grandchildren after my daughter bought a new home with no trees. I don't think she helped rake or fill the bags.
I learned shapes and names of leaves by using the encyclopedia (before Google) to help kids with their school leaf book project. I can still smell the odor of ironing them between sheets of wax paper.
It took bribery to get two teenagers to help clean up the yard at some point.
We have now entered the pick up with the mower or mulch with the mower phase of our lives. Anything to make a tedious job a little less so.
Take a break, walk through a woods or drive a scenic road near your home. Feast your eyes. Drink up these sparkling colors.
Gail McKillop and her husband live in Southern Michigan. They have two children and three grandchildren. Michigan Maple Syrup -- A Fall Tradition