It has been such a beautiful fall in the Northwest. As I sit at my desk I can see my next door neighbor’s tree (I am ashamed to admit I don’t know what kind it is) which now has yellow leaves. From the back of our house I can see our own tree, a scarlet oak which replaced our giant willow tree which came down about 6-7 years ago. It was huge when we moved into our new house in 1975. I love weeping willows but it was always shedding something. It was the last to lose its leaves each fall and the first to bud, announcing that spring was not far away. I was sad to see it come down but have enjoyed the oak. We didn’t realize when we bought it that it holds onto its leaves (which turn brown in November) and drops them in April right before new leaves appear. I like that.
Paul, Clark, Phil and Cherlyn were out a week ago mowing, edging, and pruning (one of the last times for the season) while I worked on finances and cleanup in the house. Two days ago the five of us, along with about 40 others, went to a105-acre horse farm on Vashon Island for a service project. It was donated to the church as recreational property. There are no longer any horses. Cherlyn watched young children while we, Clark and Phil included, pruned back blackberry vines, bushes, and weeds so that the white-painted wooden fence was more visible. The temperature was in the high 50s making it very comfortable to be working outside. Periodic sprinkles did not slow us down. Gortex coats are a must if you live here so we would just put up our hoods. Clark and Phil stayed with us for two-three hours doing their share of the work. One of Phil’s main jobs was to laugh at everyone’s jokes. As we were returning home on the ferry Phil said “That was fun!” and it was.
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