| What I really know about Autumn Leaves | | | | to walk outside without layers of clothing |
| | | | and without fearing that I might fall on the |
| I don't like August because of its proximity | | | | wet or icy pavement. |
| to September; September means the end of | | | | |
| summer. In August, an occasional ruby or | | | | Autumn leaves end my summer freedoms; their |
| burnt orange leaf will float from the huge | | | | appearance means that they are dying. Soon |
| oaks in my yard. It is a harbinger of the | | | | they will be a crunchy mess on the ground. |
| leafy avalanche that will follow, starting in | | | | Lawns resemble patchwork quilts with |
| September. | | | | meandering, wind-tossed leaves. Rain makes |
| | | | the leaves slippery, and walking becomes |
| Many people enjoy 'fall foliage.' They travel | | | | hazardous. |
| hundreds of miles to New England, or West | | | | |
| Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains or Letchworth | | | | My gutters and downspouts will be clogged |
| State Park, which is one hour south of | | | | with leaves. Lower temperatures, chillier |
| Buffalo, to see what is visible in their own | | | | winds and heavier clothing accompany the |
| yards-leaves turning scarlet or canary | | | | autumn leaves, which cling to the trees until |
| yellow, cascading from branches and creating | | | | the end of October. Winds force the remainder |
| small hills until they are shoveled into | | | | to 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 the | | | | November means naked trees; almost all the |
| curb. Families burn leaves in backyards, | | | | leaves are gone now. Bare branches dictate |
| creating an acridity that permeates the | | | | the 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 and | | | | soft 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; they | | | | Oaks, maples and white birches look pathetic. |
| symbolize spring and summer-my favorite | | | | Their graceful, baron branches resemble a |
| seasons. Their greenery means warmth, bikes, | | | | parent's outstretched arms, yearning for the |
| the relentlessly repetitive jingle of the ice | | | | return of baby green buds. |
| cream truck and open windows at night. It | | | | |
| means noisy lawnmowers and the smell of newly | | | | Falling leaves announce summer's departure. |
| cut grass. Green leaves mean that I am free | | | | |