On Sunday, a sunny, pleasant, blue-sky day, we wrapped up things in the yard at Red Oak House. The eponymous tree and the others in the yard put out millions of leaves and most have now fallen. Sadly, odd weather this year caused most to turn an odd, brittle green and fall from the trees without regaling us with color.

I picked up the largest Red Oak leaf I’ve ever found and preserved it. I remembered that as a child we saved leaves by ironing between two sheets of wax paper, something Jim said he’d never heard of. So, I gave it a whirl and it worked like a charm.

Here is another photo of the leaf with a tube of lip balm for perspective.

Jim raked and I hauled more than a dozen loads to the garden and the compost pile. The garlic, strawberries, asparagus and irises are now mulched. The gutters are clean and the roof has been fixed (we hope). The snow shovels and roof rake are staged and I’ve filled the suet feeder. (I’m watching a Downy Woodpecker on it as I write.)

Today, I’ve polished my work boots and tucked these away until next year. Perhaps I care for my work boots as the child of an Army man or maybe it is from my roots as a grandchild of farmers and ranchers.

Time to tackle that pile of winter reading and chores I’ve been accumulating. And prod Jim to get going on our manuscript. Feel free to prod him, too.