I hugged Mother Nature tonight.

Tonight I got down on my knees and picked up raked leaves. I shoved the leaves into a bushel basket. And then I emptied basket after basket into a wheelbarrel. Packed high. And then I wheeled the leaves across the road to the edge of the wetlands, and dumped them. I have built a wall of leaves. And there are more to come. Maybe it'll take two or three days for me to haul away everything. I still have more to rake. And piles to pick up. I like the feel of the leaves. Many of them moist. They clump together. Making it easier to pick up. I embrace the leaves. Makes me feel like I'm hugging Mother Nature. Used to be that I raked the leaves in the autumn. Before the first snow. But I'm taking a new approach. I wait until spring. The leaves form a carpet. And help protect low-lying groundcover, most of it a green leafy plant called pacysandra. But this year, I'll add colorful flowers to my garden. Sweet William. African Daisy. Balsam. Sunflower. Morning Glory. Gaillardia. Shasta Daisy. Snapdragon. --Jim Broede