Sycamore Leaves

Last weekend, T and I spent some time outside on fall chores.  There were canna bulbs to dig up, leaves in the backyard too mulch, and leaves everywhere in need of raking.  Though I don’t have any in my yard, my street is lined by tall sycamore trees.  Sycamore leaves are everywhere.  These leaves are enormous.

As I raked them into piles for collection, I remembered that little boy JT often admired these leaves and kept a look out for the largest ones.  The year he was 10, we made pictures of the biggest of the year.

He was best-pleased by this activity. These days, when I see an especially large sycamore leaf, I think about that little boy and the ways he brought so much laughter into my life.

Leaves of Three I, Apparently, Did Not Let Be

My backyard is awash in volumes of poison ivy.  I know what it looks like and I take care.  Not always perfect care, because every summer I get a touch of poison ivy rash.  Usually, it itches uncomfortably but within a week, the rash has dried and I am feeling much better.  

Emphasis on usually.

Sometimes, it doesn’t get better and I need a few days of prednisone to clean things up.

And then there is my most recent exposure.  I knew my ankle had been brushed by poison ivy on Sunday, August 25th when I cut the grass and did some trimming of bushes in the yard.  I washed the spot and moved on.  Four days later, a rash emerged on my left arm.  And then all along my waistline.

A spot emerged on my face and neck.  

And then my chest.  

My ankle was a mess.

By Labor Day weekend, I was a walking itchy and scratchy advert.  And new breakouts kept appearing.  I took myself to the doctor and got some prednisone, first a shot and then six days worth of pills that would gradually taper off.  I also got a steroid cream to use.  At once, my symptoms began to ease.

But now, here at the end of the taper off, I am still getting new outbreaks.  Clearly the exposure was more than my ankle.  In fact, T saw a patch in the front yard where I had been trimming that I didn’t see at the time.  In all fairness to me, we’ve never had poison ivy in the front yard.  In all fairness to poison ivy, I have sometimes taken a cavalier attitude toward its presence.  

My last prednisone pill will be taken tomorrow.  At this rate, I’ve the notion that by Tuesday I am going to remain a very unwilling poison ivy subscriber, this time headed for round 2 of steroids.  Will I ever learn?

That’s a rhetorical question.

Fall Chores

We’ve had a warm fall and only this week have we had several nights of freeze warnings in a row.  The warmth has meant extended flip flop enjoyment.  It’s also meant that I could hold off on many of my fall chores.  Earlier this month, I put away my fairy garden.  This past weekend, I raked some leaves, dug up my dahlia bulbs, and stacked away my tomato cages.  I also decided that I needed to mow the lawn one last time.  Though it was late November, the grass was as thick and lush as if it was a Springtime lawn; the downed leaves were the only indication that it was Fall.

I enjoy mowing and I’m always sad to put the mower away for the season.  But it’s been run out of gas and placed in the back of the garage, having earned a rest for Winter.  Leaves have been mulched or raked into bags; I’ll finish some more of that this weekend.  Two nights of temperatures well below freezing confirm that Winter is on its way.  My yard is ready for the chill.

Brownie the Backyard Bunny

A very sweet brown bunny lives in my yard.  I named him Brownie.  He seems to spend most of time in the backyard, where there is plenty of green growth to keep him fat and sassy.  The bunny has grown used to sharing the yard with us and lets both JT and I get very close to him.

I plant extra seeds in the garden, aware that this little guy needs a snack every once in a while.  He is most welcome to a share of the greens.