This fall, I took over the responsibility of leaf removal.  I really didn't mind it, it's kind of relaxing and it's satisfying to see a lawn previously covered in leaves look nice and green.  Of course, that satisfaction only lasts for like two seconds until a gust of wind blows a fresh batch onto the lawn.

Over the course of three weeks I mulched and bagged the leaves.  One weekend there were so many leaves that we filled the back of Marty's truck and took it to dump instead of putting it in our bin.  It felt kind of good to have removed so many, and the yard looked great.  Then, we had a few days of strong wind and the rest of the leaves in the neighborhood fell off the trees.  Then a new wind pattern was created which dumped them in between our house and the neighbors, filling the small valley that separates our yards. 

The kids and I walked through it on our way to the backyard.  It was above my knees, almost to the waist for the kids.  The leaves made a shushing sound when we walked through it.  It kicked up like weightless waves of water when we ran through it.  It softened the landing when we jumped in it.  It was awesome.

There's something about kids playing in leaves that makes you want to take thousands of pictures.  It's the same kind of phenomenon that makes a tourist snap countless photos of mountains, the ocean, or sunsets.  They never capture the same feeling as when you were there, and you know they won't, but you can't stop yourself from trying anyway.