Every Halloween, I decorate the front of the house with “Pumpkin” leaf bags. Every November 1, I take the bags to the brush site.

This year, I made three trips. The first trip, I waved to the brush site attendant and he admired the dozen pumpkin filled leaf bags stuffed into our Ford Freestyle.  The second trip, he was impressed that we had more bags.  The third trip, he remarked with a smile, “You must have scared the Hell out of the neighbor kids with those pumpkin leaf bags.”  No sir, they didn’t frighten any kids, but raking up the leaves was certainly a horrific task.

Now we wait for the next labor intensive decoration, the return of the neighborhood snowmen.