The Summer's Gone

Que Lastima! (Oh, the fate!) Summer is put away. The Corvette is washed and in its bed. The swings and chairs and toys of summer out of sight, but not out of mind. Today is one of those early fall days where you can't believe the weather. We in Michigan are often blessed with days like this in October, sunny, 75 degrees, soft breeze. The smells of autumn, the colors of autumn but with the feel of summer.

We won't remember these days come Thanksgiving, however. Usually Thanksgiving is raw cold, windy, ice and snow and muck and yuck. Sometimes we get lucky (2007 for instance) and it is like today. I hope we have a mild winter as I am just positive I can't physically or mentally bide a harsh one.

The retired man down the street enters his season of discontent, running his gas powered leaf blower for 3 hours a day or more, obsessively trying to remove leaves from his yard. He inexplicably starts in the front, which takes forever and then goes to the back. He then sullies his perfect front yard by blowing the leaves from the back, through the front and out into the street. All the way out into the street. Literally and completely standing out in the middle of the street. Apparently they are somebody elses problem at that point.

And back we go to the front yard to remove the leaves he just blew into the yard. Smart. Meanwhile the rest of the neighborhood is going mad at the never-ending cacophony of 2 stroke motor, (imagine being circled for three hours by a jet ski at full song and you get the idea).

Why it is such a production to remove the leaves in such a small yard is beyond any of us. Of course, it may have something to do with not wanting to be inside. Not to mention the droning of the motor helps reduce his hearing, which I am guessing helps him quite a bit when he is inside.If you'd met his wife, perhaps you would begin to understand.

Em and I were walking today and we met up with another neighbor who is similarly annoyed by this daily ritual of futility. I decided we should have little flags, like the ones that mark utilities, printed up that just says 'leaf' and going late at night and impaling the leaves that have fallen, just to torment him a little. Or a lot.

These are the things you live with in the urban neighborhood we chose. We love it. But, I wouldn't cry if I could have a small out of the way place in a wood or along some water to watch the seasons roll into one another in peace. From the stark whites of barren Winter to the slow awakening of Spring, which I am told by people whose eyes are not swollen shut as a result of allergies is a sight to behold, followed by the deep lush greens of Summer and finally the loud pops of color that marshal in the Autumn.

No leaf blowers need apply. In fact, the longer the grass and the deeper the leaves the better. Just me, a cup of coffee a view and my thoughts. That is perfection whatever the season.