Leaves!

The kids LOVE raking up the leaves into a huge pile every year.  Our biggest tree is a beautiful red maple that looses its leaves a little later than other trees.  So it is often freezing cold by the time they have dropped and it's time to mulch them up.  I spent Monday afternoon cleaning up the yard and getting it ready for winter since the weather was gorgeous (and on November 1!).  There are still leaves to fall yet, but at least I got most of them up.  Here are the kids in their pile.

I use these to cover my garden during the winter and then till them into the ground in spring.  Extras go on the compost pile and around the flower gardens.  It's nice to have most of that big chore done for the year.  We'll see how big of a pile the remainder makes (or how many blow into our yard from next door).  I may have to mow them up again, and hopefully when it's not too cold.  Mowing while wearing a hat and mittens just feels wrong.

Question for you:  Are you a cold weather lover or a warm weather lover?  I'm way more into heat.  I can take 90 degree days way over 20 degree days.  I don't like being cold.