nichepoetryandprose

We live in the woods and because I love trees, we rarely cut one unless it dies, threatens the house, or if it is blocking a trail we are making.

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There are down-sides to having so many trees nearby. Perhaps the worst is leaf fall in the autumn. The leaves clog my little pond and have to be removed each spring. And they literally cover the decks if we don’t sweep them away.

The leaves on our decks today are almost entirely red maple which have now lost all their leaves. The leaves are coloured a variety of reds, oranges and browns. There are also some white birch leaves, yellow in colour.

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I only saw a few red oak leaves on the deck today, although we have lots of oak on our property. The oaks change colour later than the maples and hold on to their leaves long after other trees let go.

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Today I went out to sweep the lower deck. As I worked, I was most aware of sounds:

• the brushing of the broom across the deck boards
• the crunching of the leaves against one another
• the rushing of the wind, quite brisk today
• the whisper as individual leaves tumble in front of the wind

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My efforts paid off and the deck is mostly clear (not completely since I am not a perfectionist).

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All my best,

Keep listening to the sounds out there!!!

Jane