Where I am living, Fall swoops in like an unexpected hurricane (without the casualties, of course). It's strong winds blow a riot of orange, yellow, and red over just about every tree around me. Then just as quickly, the cold sets in and almost every leaf falls at once. Each time a gust of wind blows through the trees, a waterfall of leaves tumbles to the ground.
That's where I come in. For the last few days I have been raking the front yard of the house I'm staying in. Note that it took two days just to get the leaves into a pile. It's unbelievable the amount of leaves that one older Magnolia tree sheds.
There's something soothing about raking. Each stroke of the rake puts my world just a little closer to feeling orderly and controlled. It's like cleaning a really dirty counter, where each time I run the sponge over the tile, I can see the results of my efforts. As I move the rake rhythmically forward and back, forward and back, my mind is calmed and my body enjoys the soothing, repetitive motions. And better yet, my raking reveals unexpected things: little sprouts of violet-plant leaves, a stone wind-chime, a fishing lure, and a foam Nerf-gun dart.
As I rake, the pile grows bigger and bigger, and I'm sure the creeping vines, violets, and grass are excited to finally have the opportunity to get sun again. It's nearing dark and it occurs to me that for whatever reason I have never had the opportunity to jump in a pile of leaves. Here I am 30 years old and eying the pile like an 8-year-old kid. I look around to see if anybody is watching, turn my back to the pile, and. . . FLOP!! Woo-hoo!!
As a side note, did you know that flopping into a pile of leaves gets dirt into every opening of clothing and onto every surface of exposed skin? I do now. Off to the shower!
All photos copyright 2012 Lia Robertson, all rights reserved.
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