As I’ve written here before, we have a number of large oaks and maples in the the neigborhood and on our lot. The upside of so many mature trees is their beauty and shade, and watching them change through the seasons: the fresh green leaves in the spring, the coolness of their shadows in the summer, the spectacular display of color in autumn, and the stark beauty of black limbs against a wintry sky.
There are some downsides to having big trees around, of course. If they become diseased or die, they have to be removed, and that’s not a job for Harry Homeowner with his hand saw. A tree company charged over $1000 last time we had one taken out, but it was worth it to me to be able to live another day. It’s money well spent.
The other main downside comes when the leaves have fallen. I used to rake ours to the curb, where the City of Manassas picks them up with a great leaf vac that is very cool. After a few years, my back hurt badly even after using an ergonomic rake (which I fondly referred to as my “snake rake). Fortunately, our nephew Jonathan Pankey, who has cut our grass for years, also takes care of fallen leaves. It’s not his favorite activity, but he and his crew come four or five times until all the leaves are gone. Jonathan and his helpers use leaf blowers, which is necessary because time is money in the business. I have to admit that the whine of a blower is far down the list of my favorite sounds. I recall the quiet and contemplative pleasure of raking leaves, back breaking as it was.
The New Yorker ran one of their incisive articles about the noise pollution of leaf blowers about three years ago, showing that I’m not the only one who doesn’t like the noise. Here’s a link to the story: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/10/25/101025fa_fact_friend .
I don’t begrudge my neighbors the use of these machines. Jonathan uses them, after all. I just wish there were a quieter way to get the job done. Ah, well, it’s not a perfect world we live in, and a little noise now and then is a small price to pay for all the gifts of trees.
Biscuit City 