People have different theories when it comes to leaf removal. Most of my neighbors fall into one of two distinct categories.

The first category is made up of the people who think it is necessary to pounce on every single leaf the minute it falls to the ground. These are the people you see in their yards three or four times a week, raking and bagging like their lives depended on it. I can envision them looking out their windows every afternoon and surveying and counting the leaves as they fall. At a certain point they spring to action, rake in hand and clear bags at the ready.

These people will spend every weekend from early October through the end of November at least raking and bagging and bagging and raking. They must wear out at least one rake every year by grinding the tines down to little nubs. I imagine they keep the garden glove manufacturers in business all by themselves.

It is entertaining when two of these obsessive leaf rakers live next to each other. As soon as the first leaf hits the ground the race is on. They will go at it, glove and tine, raking and bagging and bagging and raking to see who can have the clean yard first. Each side eventually piles up the clear bags of leaves in great heaps. You just know they are watching each other during these contests…one eye on the rake and one on the neighbor, keeping track of how many bags are stacked how soon.

I wonder if there are any rules or regulations governing these contests…

God Bless America.

Enjoy!