It’s everybody’s favorite time of the year again: raking season.
That’s right, it’s time to get out there and muck around in the cold mud and scrape wet leaves into a heavy pile. Some call it misery, while others say it builds character. Either way, it has to be done, and the city has begun its annual Fall Leaf Collection Program, meaning it’s time to get going.
The program started on Halloween and runs through Dec. 9, weather permitting. All you have to do is haul your leaves out to the curb and leave them there in a big pile.
We reminded you about this already, but this time we really mean it – collection has already begun, so the pressure is on. Many streets will only be hit once, so like Eminem says, ‘do not miss your chance to blow’ – meaning leaf-blow those leaves to the curb (which is way better than raking, in our book).
This year, we want to put the challenge out there: Can you amass the biggest pile of leaves in the city?
Now remember, all leaves must be dumped directly onto the curb unbagged, and piles can consist of nothing but leaves – no sneaking branches, rocks, couch cushions or last month’s forgotten lasagna you just found in the back of the fridge. That stuff will not be collected, and then you still have to deal with it.
You also don’t want to completely obstruct the sidewalk or the road, so building up a respectable pile in tight city quarters is really a balance of sport and fine art.
In this case, we’re treating it as a world-class, ultra-competitive sport. We’ve seen some truly impressive heaps over the years, and we know some of you must have been behind some of them. That’s what we want to see now.
Haul your leaves out to the curb and send us a picture (news@theconcordinsider.com) of your creation. If we get enough submissions, we’ll print the most impressive ones.
My preferred method is using a huge tarp. You can really load up a good-sized tarp to the point where you can clear a whole yard in just a few trips – granted, it can take a while to fill one tarp.
The day I set out to do my tarping, I found that the curb on both sides of my driveway were already full of leaves – somebody had beat me to my spot!
Then, it started pouring for two days, and it really killed the mood. All the better, though – that rain no doubt knocked down a lot more leaves I can add to my own pile. I’m joining the challenge myself and will submit the photo of my pile (which will have to be across the street) with the rest of you.
May the best raker win!
