Yes, it is a glorious autumn day. We've had several glorious days in a row. This is the last of warm weather. Cold, damp and darkness will be here soon. For now, it is time to enjoy the outdoors.

I should be outside with my paints, painting foliage colors, but there is work to do...as usual. The rake, tarp , gloves, extension chord and leaf grinder are retrieved from storage.

This isn't work. It is wonderful outdoor exercise. The sun is shining. Neighbors are out raking up leaves. Each household has a different technique for leaves. Tina uses a blower. Joanne rakes leaves into paper bags and leaves them at the curb for pick up by Public Works. Last year, I ran my lawn mower over the leaves, mulching them in place. Butch has a leaf catcher at the back of his lawn mower. He catches leaves as He mowes the lawn...then bags them. My neighbor Bob and I chat over the fence. He is shrink wrapping his boat..tucking it in for the winter. I've already covered my sailing dingy with bubble wrap. I hope it stays in place for the winter. I make a note to myself to use a tarp next time.

This year, I need the leaves to fill in a low spot in the side yard. All my mulch is distributed on the vegetable bed and the flower bed. The man who cuts the grass, put his foot through a hole in the ground that I did not know was there. He wasn't hurt. I am surprised but now I know why the fruit tree I planted in that spot did not grow. I planted it over a cavity. The roots dried out, poor tree. (Another mental note to plant another tree there next spring. The ground should be settled by them.)

Several bags of dirt are purchased from the garden store. One bag is dumped in the hole. The hole is filled up. It looks fine. However, when I water it down, the entire bag of dirt disappears down the rabbit hole. Ditto the second bag and the third bag. All the weeds and sticks...anything organic is dumped down the hole. It looks filled up. I test it with a pole..poke ..poke..poke. Seems to be filled up OK, but I don't trust that spot.

Standing back, I see a bowl shape in the lawn. It is where the septic system used to be. That whole area has sunk. I will level the entire spot with mulch. The leaf mulcher crunches leaves. I rake the front lawn, put the leaves on a tarp and drag it to the low spot. Mulched leaves are heaped on the spot, then raked as level as I can make it.

Still doesn't seem level. More leaves are needed. Several days with many breaks for lunch or tea will clean up the lawn. I should have the bowl filled level and more to go into the mulch pile. For now, it is lunch time. My back is aching, but I have that good feeling of accomplishing something useful