How quilts are made


What I Really Know About Autumn Leaves

What  I  really  know  about  Autumn  Leavesto walk outside without layers of clothing
and without fearing that I might fall on the
I don't like August because of its proximitywet  or  icy  pavement.
to September; September means the end of
summer. In August, an occasional ruby orAutumn leaves end my summer freedoms; their
burnt orange leaf will float from the hugeappearance means that they are dying. Soon
oaks in my yard. It is a harbinger of thethey will be a crunchy mess on the ground.
leafy avalanche that will follow, starting inLawns resemble patchwork quilts with
September.meandering, wind-tossed leaves. Rain makes
the leaves slippery, and walking becomes
Many people enjoy 'fall foliage.' They travelhazardous.
hundreds of miles to New England, or West
Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains or LetchworthMy gutters and downspouts will be clogged
State Park, which is one hour south ofwith leaves. Lower temperatures, chillier
Buffalo, to see what is visible in their ownwinds and heavier clothing accompany the
yards-leaves turning scarlet or canaryautumn leaves, which cling to the trees until
yellow, cascading from branches and creatingthe end of October. Winds force the remainder
small hills until they are shoveled intoto the ground where laughing children pounce,
garbage  bags.slide and trample on them on their way to
school.
Children love to jump in the piles of raked
leaves that their parents have left by theNovember means naked trees; almost all the
curb. Families burn leaves in backyards,leaves are gone now. Bare branches dictate
creating an acridity that permeates thethe landscape for the next five months.
neighborhood.Snowflakes swirl around the trees which used
to host swaying greenery tickled by summer's
Some people love the change of seasons andsoft breezes. As the snow accumulates,
the vibrant, changing hues of the leaves.wilted, brittle brown leaves poke out of the
Some  think  these  colors  are  spectacular.tops  of  snow  banks.
I  don't.Gold and crimson leaves are sad messengers of
winter's dreary, leafless impending arrival.
Green leaves are spectacular to me; theyOaks, maples and white birches look pathetic.
symbolize spring and summer-my favoriteTheir graceful, baron branches resemble a
seasons. Their greenery means warmth, bikes,parent's outstretched arms, yearning for the
the relentlessly repetitive jingle of the icereturn  of  baby  green  buds.
cream truck and open windows at night. It
means noisy lawnmowers and the smell of newlyFalling leaves announce summer's departure.
cut grass. Green leaves mean that I am free



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