The Fall of the Rake

Here in the Great Lakes area, we have reached that point in Autumn where all the leaves fall off the trees in a matter of a week to ten days. Bam! No sidewalk or lawn can be seen.

Here's what else has disappeared:



This primitive but highly effective tool has been around for generations, along with the snow shovel. Although I thought raking leaves was one of the worst chores growing up, at least we could jump in the piles, and light big bonfires, and toss in exploding chestnuts. This year I've hardly seen a rake. It has been done in by:



The dastardly noisy leaf-blower is now in the hands of not just lawncare companies, but everyone including kids and grandmothers. And, of course, burning leaves has been outlawed for years.

Soon your grandkids will look in wonder at rakes and shovels in Nostalgia books or on "Antique Roadshow". They'll never know the quiet of an autumn afternoon when you could hear the leaves falling as you raked. They'll ignore you when you tell of the silence of early morning snow shoveling.

The roar of blowers, both the machines and their operators have conquered The Quiet
again.