Autumn Leaves

I am convinced that either A.God or B.Evolution (depending on your beliefs) has equipped the human body with a set of muscles for the sole purpose of using a garden rake. There's only one time of the year that I actually use a garden rake and thats now when the sweetgum is losing its leaves. I know this is the only time of year these muscles get used because of the amount of pain I will be in tommorrow. They just don't get enough of a work out during the non-leaf-dropping portion of the year.

  It is a tedious job raking leaves made bearable by little distractions, a moth alighting on the wheelbarrow rim,

a starling watching my progress,

a fantail feeding in a tree nearby.

The worst part of the job is glaringly obvious - realising that once all the leaves are raked up there are yet a million more waiting to drop down in their place. Bugger!