AUTUMN LEAVES, AUTUMN DOGS, BEST TIME OF YEAR

How often do dogs change my day? Every day.

And it’s not always my dog.

A walk on a trail, a lady with two frisky hounds, and it’s a lively moment.

Just two middle aged people on a hillside in the wilderness. Sharing the wonder of it all.

Autumn leaves are like our lives. We like that they work to bring energy to big trees, but then they fall off and lay on the ground.

Who likes that?

For example, I’ve got a tree that keeps the last leaf until the new leaves push it off. High winds and it hangs on.

It’s my nemesis, but I love it. When I first moved in a neighbor offered me $100 to cut it down. He didn’t like the way the leaves blew up his driveway.

He’s gone, the tree’s still here. It drops leaves all over the place. If I don’t get them up they turn to mush. Leave it a few years and it starts looking like soil.

So I get it out of there and then augment the existing soil. That’s how it works with master gardeners. Sometimes you need to take it all out and start over.

Does that sound familiar? Take it all out and start over. I’m not talking about me taking it all out and starting over. Or you. More like noticing others who take it all out and start over.

But where to  begin? Toxic relationships? A bad town? A combination of self-destructive behavior and too much money?

Before you make any huge decisions that will affect the rest of your life and everyone in it, pick up a few leaves. Clean it up and see what you’ve got to start with.

Keep this in mind while you rake autumn leaves: You’re doing yard. I’m encouraging you to do yard work. It is a set up to move forward, but it’s still yard work. Who isn’t qualified to rake leaves?

You can do it.