Today we fought the fight against leaves. Lot and lots of leaves. I can't complain too much. I love trees and the shade they bring, the lovely rustling sounds they make and the character they add to the landscape...as well as all of the important scientific significance they hold. At our last house, we longed for more trees. It was a brand new house with one lone Bradford pear in the front-kind of sad. New houses have their place, but this one lacked much needed character. Anyhoo, we have lots and lots of trees on our property and these trees have a lot of droppings. We set about our business in the back yard, ready to move the masses of leaves to the front yard and give our dog better boundaries in which to relieve herself. We had moved 2/3 of the back leaves with the tarp and our trusty tool when tragedy struck. The muffler flew off of our ancient, but trusty, Giant Vac. Our beloved neighbor, may he rest in peace, owned the Giant Vac for years. He served the neighbors in many ways, but in the fall he took care of the leaves in all of our front yards. When his health got the best of him, my husband and I were charged with the Giant Vac duties. A few years ago, he died at 93 or 94....we're not sure which and we got the Giant Vac with the request that we continue the neighborhood leaf removal. What is this coveted contraption, you ask? Why is it so popular? Here it is:
You will notice the newly added masking tape that replaced the duct and surgical tape from years gone by. Our dear neighbor, Bill, helped Brian put a makeshift muffler on until the new $14 comes in next week.
It is not the blower that is the true star of the story, but how it brings us together as neighbors. When Red, our neighbor, died, he left his estate to the Tennessee Baptist Association. We were concerned that as his estate was auctioned off, the blower would be sold to someone who wouldn't use it to help others. So, I asked the guy I charge if we could buy it before the public auction. As neighbors, we wanted to continue Red's legacy of helping each other. The kind man let us have it for a nominal fee. Now, we blow our yard and the next door neighbors' as well. Bill and his wife, who live two doors up,do their yard, and their across the street neighbors. We then take the blower to different relatives, etc.. Red's legacy of helping lives on...his example was an inspiration to us all and our lives were better just knowing him.
Do I love blowing leaves? Not really,but the satisfaction of having a clean yard and neighbors with happy yards makes it worth it. And that Giant Vac is like a flippin' jet engine....awesome.
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