I love fall! 

Early in September I noticed the first signs that the tree leaves were starting to change.  It was just a hint of color here and there.  But that is how fall begins.  Here in the mid-west our majestic trees change to many different colors.  By the middle of October the trees are glorious shades of yellow, red, green, rust, and, burgundy.  It is like living in a wonderland.  The fall flowers also reflect the colors of of the trees.  Oh, yes, fall in Missouri is unmatched anywhere.

The chill of October gives way to the warm winds of November.  The sap in the trees flows into the roots to sustain the tree through the cold winter winds.  Necessary nutrients are cut off from the leaves.  They begin to dry.  The yellow leaves turn brown.  The red leaves turn to rust.  All of them begin to fall from the trees and cover the ground.  The glorious trees of October become the nuisance of November. 

The dry leaves blow in the wind and create drifts much like snow.  As you can see the leaves mound up at my front door and almost bury the flowers that have graced my front yard all summer.  Believe it or not, there are flowers in there that are in full bloom.  Raking the leaves from the door is fruitless.  The wind will just blow them right back against the door. 

Every time I open my door leaves blow inside my apartment.  They are hard to sweep up out of the carpet and forget trying to vacuum them up.  That does not work at all.

Neighbors who have been relaxed and friendly all summer suddenly become irritable. 

“I’ve got leaves knee deep at my front door!”  Viola moaned to me today.

“So, do I,” I replied.

“My leaves are deeper than yours,” she said.

“No, they’re not.”  I said.

This conversation is repeated again and again as everyone is sure that their leaf problem is worse than their next door neighbor’s.  They’re all foolish.  I know for a fact, that I have the worst leaf problem in the entire neighborhood.  Why can’t anybody else see that?

See! Here is my proof.  Don’t you agree?  My leaf problem worse than anyone else’s.

Soon it will snow and the leaves will be covered with a blanket of white and we can pretend that the leaves are not there lurking, waiting for me to open my door.  But, I know their secret, they like to hide under my sofa.  I know where to find them!

Excuse me!  I have to go now and rake the leaves.  It’s a never ending chore!