January post holiday....

The trees don't drop their leaves until after Christmas, that is, FINISH dropping their leaves until after New Years and that means many bags of leaves out in front of the Lakewood houses along with the Christmas trees. It's a short time to view the trees; pecan, oak, sweet gum, elm, and the one with the big leaves and the curly bark that comes off too and leaves a big mess, without leaves. It has been warm for Dallas and the Bradford Pear already has buds, small, but nonetheless, buds, about to emerge. So, Woody and I raked leaves last Sat. Where are those boys when there are Large Piles of Leaves to run through and jump into? ....and help bag up? I'm pretty sure that's why Elias is in China, where there are no yards and all those leaves to rake. Matthew was skiing in CO, and Abi and David were back in Houston where they have landlords to do the leaves and I think have Live Oaks. I guess raking leaves is kind of therapuetic to me, because you pick a day that's not freezing, you're outside in the front with and occasional neighbor or friend who drives by and waves, and everything is so neat and tidy when you're through and then it's something that's DONE until next year.