Tag: leaf collection

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Wrapping Up 2024: A Run, A Goal, and A Leafy Finale

Written December 30, 2024

Hello Dear Readers,

This morning, I laced up my sneakers for one last hurrah on the running trail in 2024. And let me tell you. It felt great to end the year on a high note—target pace time has officially been beaten! I managed to get back under the 10:00min/k mark, a line I’d been tiptoeing over during my recent two-week stint of 10ks. (Those long runs are no joke, folks!) It’s a small win, but hey, victories are meant to be celebrated—especially when you’re outside in the crisp winter air, battling not just your legs but occasionally your frozen lungs.

With 2024 in the books, it’s time to look ahead. Starting Wednesday, I’ll be chasing a new goal: bringing my pace down to sub-9:00min/k by the end of 2025. Is it ambitious? Absolutely. Am I sure I can nail it in a year? Not entirely. But if there’s one thing running teaches you, it’s that progress doesn’t happen all at once—it’s earned with every step, every mile, every sometimes-dreaded morning when you’d rather stay in bed. So, I’ll keep showing up, logging the kilometers, and chipping away at that time. Who knows where I’ll be by this time next year?

Now, back to reality. Post-run, as I stood in my driveway doing that awkward shuffle-stretch routine, I noticed something: the trees in our front yard had finally given up their leafy ghosts. The ground? A glorious mess of reds, yellows, and browns. It looks like tomorrow’s agenda will include one last leaf collection session. (Yes, I’m pretending this will actually be the last one. Please let the trees cooperate this time.) On the bright side, the bare branches mean winter is truly here, and hey, that’s one less thing to distract me from hitting the trail.

So here’s to 2024—its wins, its challenges, and even its messy leaf piles. And here’s to 2025, where the goals are bigger, the runs are faster (hopefully), and the trees are… well, someone else’s problem until fall rolls around again. Happy New Year!

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An Interesting Early Autumn Yard Tale Of Unspoken Tree

Written Septermber 10, 2024

Hello Dear Readers,

It’s only early September, but our lawn is covered in leaves. The reason behind this premature leaf fall is two trees in front of our house. The larger one, a towering presence on our neighbor’s property, overshadows the smaller tree on ours. When we had an arborist inspect a tree at the back of our house, he informed us that the smaller tree on our property was struggling. Its health is declining due to competition from its larger counterpart next door. I suspect there’s a silent battle for resources happening beneath the surface. Unfortunately, our tree is on the losing side.

It’s fascinating to think about how trees, which appear so still and tranquil, constantly struggle for survival. We don’t often consider what goes on underground, where their roots stretch out in search of water and nutrients. Our smaller tree, likely overshadowed and outcompeted by the larger one, shows signs of stress. It frequently sheds branches during strong winds, even though it looks healthy on the surface. It also seems to lose more leaves than the bigger tree, which is surprising given their relative sizes.

This year, both trees are shedding their leaves much earlier than usual. The lack of rainfall might be a contributing factor. Lawns around the neighborhood appear to be suffering, looking patchy and dry. It starkly contrasts with when we first moved to Nashville from Oregon in August 2018. We were struck by how lush and green everything was here. In Oregon, the dry summer season and water usage restrictions made it challenging to maintain a vibrant lawn. My wife, a lawn care expert in her own right, used to water our lawn sparingly but for extended periods to encourage more profound root growth. Having lived in the Waterloo region of Ontario, Canada, where water restrictions were common, she was well-practiced in keeping grass healthy with minimal resources.

Maintaining our yard has become more complicated over the years. With the early leaf fall this season, I’ve found myself transitioning seamlessly from mowing the lawn to collecting leaves. Fortunately, it’s been dry for the past week, making vacuuming the leaves much easier. Today, I spent a few hours on this task, stopping only when our water delivery arrived.

The cooler temperatures have been noticeable lately. The crispness in the air signals that autumn is just around the corner. It’s a reminder of how quickly seasons change and how each one brings its own set of challenges and rewards. Ever since my brain stroke, managing these chores has become more challenging. I’ve had to learn to pace, take breaks when needed, and not overexert myself.

Despite the extra work, there’s something satisfying about yard work—mowing the lawn, collecting leaves, or tending to the garden. It connects you to the changing seasons in a tangible way. I’m looking forward to the colors of autumn, even though it means more leaves to rake. Soon enough, my yard work will halt as winter sets in. At least we won’t have to worry about shoveling snow daily like in other parts of the country. For now, I’ll enjoy the last of the warmer days, the occasional leaf collection, and the beauty of this early taste of autumn.