As I was riding in the shuttle from Milwaukee airport to Mundelein last month, I smelled smoke.  It didn’t occur to me until halfway home that what I was smelling was burning leaves.  It is illegal now to burn leaves now, in many places, but apparently not everywhere.  Having always been a bit sad about the passing of the burning-leaves-in-autumn tradition that I grew up with, I suddenly realized what a detrimental practice it really was/is.  The familiar smell of smoke ended my fantasy once and for all.  The smell of smoke in my adult life,  in California,  means only one thing – forest fires or grass fires – and it is difficult to breathe on those days when it is nearby or the wind is blowing in the right direction from the foothills.  Also while I was home, Mom and I looked at some slides and there were a few slides of the annual homecoming bonfire at Carmel High School.  I was sad to see that tradition end as well, but understand and as a good citizen of the earth I know it had to go.

Like many things in my childhood that my sons missed, I had lamented that they would never know the fun of raking leaves and piling them into the smoldering fire, watching as they caused the flames to rise, the smell of burning leaves a wonderful earthy farewell to summer.  

Today, back in California, I was feverishly raking leaves before the first rain arrives tomorrow and trying to fit them all into the green recycling bin, wishing I had something with which to compact them.  It was then I remembered a fall tradition in our family and which my sons will always remember and be able to carry on with their own children.  That tradition is the “stomping down the leaves” tradition.  In order to fit as many leaves as possible into the recycling bin,  the boys would take turns being lifted up and deposited into the bin by Al, feet first, in order to squish the leaves down, making room for more.  I can still see the smiles on their faces as they did this important task – what could be more fun that “legally” being in a garbage can, up to your waist in leaves?  It makes me smile to think that they will do the same with their little ones some day, taking over the role of “Dad” and carrying on a new tradition, for a new world. 

I wish I could say that will be the last time this year I’ll be out cleaning up leaves, but there are way too many stubborn oak leaves hanging on.  Hopefully the storm coming in will send them to their inevitable demise, onto the ground and into the recyle bin.  The rest of the fall garden chores are finished though. The hammock is put away, the garden swing is covered with plastic, the bulbs and sweet pea seeds are planted. 

Bring on the winter rains and a stack of unread books!