leaf pile make pretty

I've always liked autumn for a few different reasons: the ever-cooler temperatures, the transformation that everything goes through, the color that surrounds us for weeks. One of my favorite things about fall though is the blanket of fallen leaves. I've loved them since I was a child when they allowed us to create soft piles to jump into and forts to use for our play.

I think I also liked the change they provided: the ground that had been grassy green for the last several months was almost overnight transformed into something brown, leafy, brand new. The first snowfall did this too, and indoors removing a years-in-place carpet to expose hardwood floors had the same effect: when what's under foot changes, the whole world seems to. (My brothers and I once had a week of hardwood floors to enjoy while the ever-present carpet in our childhood house was replaced. Matchbox cars set free!)

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I have to admit I haven't jumped into a leaf pile for decades, but I still love the transformation that leaf drop creates in the yard. For instance, leaves turn the now-visible and ugly compost pile (pictured above) into something homogenous and attractive:

Here's a closer view. Before:

After:

So much nicer, isn't it? All off the trees, shrubs, and bamboo back here will appreciate the mulch and organic matter once they decompose too.

I'm not the only one who enjoys a good leaf pile though:

Need a closer look?

That's Toe-white, the stray that hangs out in my garden much of the time.

Remember this from a few years ago?

Cats love leaf piles almost as much as I do!

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