Grand Avenue by Mike Thompson for November 08, 2014
November 07, 2014
November 09, 2014
Transcript:
These blasted trees produce so many leaves! Darn trees! And where I live, trees are everywhere! Swell... Another reason to be jealous of my friends who retired to Arizona.
I’m retired in Arizona and I’m about to rake leaves for the second time this fall. The oak trees have all dropped their leaves, but the sapling oaks from acorns the squirrels buried last year (and subsequently forgot) are just starting to turn gold. I may ignore them. Today I will clean the pine needles out of the rain gutter in preparation for winter snow. Our town has a message board that earlier this month displayed, “The average pine tree loses 30% of its needles in the fall. Our pine trees are exceptional.” My rain gutter and yard prove that. I live in the largest stand of Ponderosa pines in the WORLD, and yes, it’s in Arizona. Many Arizonans don’t know about this part of the state. Those that do know, come up here in the summer to get out of the Valley (Phoenix area) heat. Though I will admit not many people retire here to avoid the cold.
I’m retired in Arizona and I’m about to rake leaves for the second time this fall. The oak trees have all dropped their leaves, but the sapling oaks from acorns the squirrels buried last year (and subsequently forgot) are just starting to turn gold. I may ignore them. Today I will clean the pine needles out of the rain gutter in preparation for winter snow. Our town has a message board that earlier this month displayed, “The average pine tree loses 30% of its needles in the fall. Our pine trees are exceptional.” My rain gutter and yard prove that. I live in the largest stand of Ponderosa pines in the WORLD, and yes, it’s in Arizona. Many Arizonans don’t know about this part of the state. Those that do know, come up here in the summer to get out of the Valley (Phoenix area) heat. Though I will admit not many people retire here to avoid the cold.