We have a total of five trees in our yard - a flowering white crab and a flowering pear in the front, and two red maples and a big white oak in the back. Together this year, they dropped a total of about sixteen leaves. We laugh that someday, likely when our grand-kids come to visit, we will have a sea of leaves on our lawn, but for now, we get to find someone else's leaves to jump in and get out of raking. A win-win if you ask me. :)
Last year, we stumbled upon UNI's ample leaf pile opportunities rather haphazardly on a walk around campus one Sunday afternoon. While the college kids tried to study from the library windows next to us, we scooped up piles of the most colorful, fragrant leaves fall has ever laid its eyes on. We drank in the crisp air and let loose, taking turns leaping in the piles and celebrating with pizza on College Hill afterwards. It was one of my favorite fall days and a day I hoped to stumble upon again.
And so we did. A bit later than last year, the leaves were even more abundant, and in a large space in between Rod Library and the ITTC, you couldn't see a single blade of grass under the fall favor. This year, the kids needed no convincing and leaped right in with all the childlike wonder made for a story, their smiles and giggles and starry eyes making my cheeks hurt. College students passed by with smiles on their faces, too, and a group of international students and their visiting families watched from afar and quickly took over our pile after we left. I hope it was their first time jumping in leaves...
Until next year, fall. The temps are dropping and I hear Christmas music. :)
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