Yes folks, it's that time of year hear in the north. The leaves are falling in drips, drops and deluge.
I got a proposal in the mail last week for fall leaf cleanup and pickup. The service is for 3 or 4 visits where they blow all of the leaves to the curb and haul them away. Larry started using them about 10 years ago. Well, this years quote is for
$750.00. If you want the gutters cleaned, it's another $110.00.
Ok, I may be falling apart at times, but I think I'm still capable of doing the leaves myself. After all, the back half of the property is all wooded.
Two weeks ago, I mowed the lawn & leaves and dumped the bag back into the new, large raised bed to add some organic matter to the clay and sand.
Last week, I just ran the mower over it and mulched it in place.
Keep in mind that most of the neigborhood hasn't done anything yet.
Today, I started mowing and bagging, but had to stop to clear leaves from beds. When I got back to it, I just pulled out the blower. I got about 20% of the yard done when the blower died.
Well, time for a new blower. In the past, we would get the blower/vacuum combo, but never really used the vacuum part. So, I opted for just a blower. I rolled on down to Home Depot and picked up the ToroPowerJet F700 140 MPH 725 CFM 12 Amp Electric Handheld Leaf Blower. At first, I was fighting to control it as it has so much power. After a few minutes though, I had it instead of it having me.
Good golly Ms Molly! That sucker has power! With the exception of about 12 feet (need a longer extension cord), the front yard took all of 20 minutes to do. That includes clearing all of the front beds and under the huge rhododendron. Then, I moved to the back yard. Another 30 minutes, and I was basically done. (There's that extension cord problem again.)
Sure, it takes my time to do the work, but I'm outside enjoying the semi-fresh air and getting a bit of exercise. Even if the blower only lasts 1 season, it's still saving me over $600.00. For that, I'll put up with the sore shoulders.
