Winter is starting to set in here in North Florida. While we’ve been boomeranging from lows in the 30s and 40 to highs in the 70s and 80s. Makes it difficult to decide what to wear each day. Next week will be getting colder, and it looks like it’s going to stick around.
I guess the trees got the message and have now dropped most of their leaves. The branches are, for the most part, bare except for the random stragglers who don’t know when to let go. The result is leaves in my yard. So many leaves.
Like a broken rainbow littering the
ground, fallen leaves scattered by the north
wind, flittering down from the bare branches and
softly settling in on the grass.
They won’t be here for long, slowly composting into
fertile nutrients that will, in Spring, help rejuvenate the
soil and bring new life into the world.
Do you rake your leaves or let them lie where they fall?
RB
I live under giant oaks and let the wind take the leaves over the hill. Nice imagery with the broken rainbow. Thanks for sharing.
That sounds like a lovely view, Devonne. Thank you for the kind words. 🙂
oh! the metaphor of a broken rainbow feels so sad, but I love that it continues to break down and provide nutrients for the future – you always have a wonderful way of seeing the world! Here’s hoping 2026 sees all the breakages heal us somehow…! Best wishes to you and your loved ones over Christmas, take care, Linda 💚🌟❤️
Thanks so much, Linda. Cheers to you and yours!
I have many elm trees, so I must rake the leaves to prevent them from smothering the yard.
I’m sure they’re lovely…up to a point! Thanks for stopping by, Swabby.
Winter brings an end to everything, allowing us to start fresh!
Absolutely! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Beautiful poem and photo.😍💗💗💗💞💞💞
Thank you so much, Hitomi! I appreciate your kindness. 💐
When I first saw that picture I thought it was roasted root veggies!
The only leaves we have here are from my mulberry and cottonwoods and we live in an open desert, so they mostly just blow away and become part of the landscape. The ones that get stuck along my fence get turned into compost!
I love watching them fall in turns as the year goes by, north to south. The southern trees are still pretty green here since they get the most daylight, but by January they’ll be bare too.
LOL! That’s hilarious, but now that’s all I see!
I’ve never experienced fall in a desert environment. It sounds like it’s still lovely…and you still get a chance to compost! 🙂
Oh! Look at all those crunchy leaves! Must step on them!
Am I the only one who finds it satisfying? 🤭
I love the poem too. It shows how life comes full circle and all seasons are important 🙂
Nope, I enjoy that crunchy sound, as well. Like popping bubble wrap!
Thank you for the kind words, Andrea. 🙂
I love your poem and your image|
As for the leaves, I rake them and put them in the compost bin that I have in a corner of the garden.
Oh, very nice, Luisa. I have a small compost tumbler, but it’s far too small for all the leaves in my yard. I may upgrade, though!
Thank you for stopping by, my friend. 🙂
Thank you so much for your kind reply 🍂🍂🍂
Compost in a pile or on the ground. One may look tidier than the other, Richard.
Raking does make the ground look neat and tidy, but I think I’m going to let them lie where they are this year. Raking is a young man’s job. 🙂
One of the many advantages of where we live is a team of gardeners to sweep up the leaves and do whatever else needs to be done to keep the gardens looking good.
Oh, I’m jealous, Sheree! I should ask my better half if we can hire a gardener. 🙂
The good thing is that the cost of said team of gardeners is spread among all our neighbours
🙂
Richard, your poem captures that transition into winter so perfectly. 🙌
It’s lovely to be reminded that even as things go bare and ‘compost’ away, they are really just preparing the ground for Spring. A very grounding perspective ..🌷
I appreciate your kindness, Aparna. It’s simply the cycle of life. 🙂
My one and only trip to Florida was in early 2025. Driving on a multi-lane interstate with only one lane drivable because there were no snowplows to clear the 6 or more inches of snow. Having snow tires on my car allowed me to continue my trip to Daytona Beach unimpeded.
Oh, yeah, that snow earlier this year was a surprise. I was actually stuck in my house because my sloped driveway was frozen over for nearly a week. We are definitely not prepared for that down here.
I love the thought of them as a broken rainbow!
I left them all lay where they fell this year, I have a deep carpet of leaves under the thick blanket of snow. When I do rake them, I have left them in huge piles in the garden as a haven for winter critters and food for the soil come spring. 💞
Oh, that’s a good idea, piling them up for the critters to enjoy! Thanks for sharing, Dawn. 🙂