Playing hooky from raking

There's always time to rake leaves, right? Jeff is very quick to want to hire someone to rake them but I feel there is much better use of our $200 and some dollars. It's a back-breaking chore, but we can do it ourselves. Last year I did it all by myself. I ended up filling 32 bags of leaves. Once I got started I couldn't stop. That's the obsessive-compulsive side of me. Also, I do a very thorough job and usually have to go back and start all over again before I can call it a day. After all, more leaves fell in that first section after I left it to move on.

The leaves aren't going anywhere, but the wonderful weather will be. Last Sunday was a picture perfect day for the greater Washington D.C. area. The temps got into the mid-70's and the sun was shining the whole day. When we have a day like that with nothing already on the calendar, my Toppall team makes a beeline for Gravelly Point. It is one of our favorite places to spend a few hours outdoors. Gravelly Point is a big open field next to Reagan National Airport. The view for watching planes take-off and land is spectacular. Plus, the Potomac borders one side of Gravelly Point and you can see boats sailing in the water.

We packed up a few snacks, drinks, balls, blanket, back-up clothes and the dog. We can be gone for an hour or for 10 days, it is the same amount of crap. It was a fun afternoon and knowing that this beautiful day in the 70's wasn't going to be around long made us all appreciate it even more.

Driving back home (after stopping at Cold Stone Creamery for some ice cream) I saw all my neighbor's houses with their clean lawns and their bags with the picked up leaves. Our leaves were just where we left them. I felt guilty for about a minute and then it occurred to me that when we look back on how we spent Sunday, Nov. 8th with a rare day in the 70's, it won't be raking leaves, it will be having fun at one of our favorite places.

I can only hope a strong wind comes and blows some of my leaves to the neighbors. I can't have their lawns looking that good for too long.