Leaf Me Alone Already! Please! I'm Done With You! (Almost)

In keeping with my strange obsession with tracking meaningless stuff, I'm up to 50 bags of leaves this year. That's important to know because once I get to 59 (the most I've ever filled), I'm pretty much home free when it comes to yard work, and I could use a break. I typically mow/vacuum up leaves once, maybe twice a week but I was out there 5 times in the last 7 days! I've never done that. It gets a bit overwhelming if I wait too long so I sorta like this new approach.

With the exception of some major trimming of trees in our yard, I've done all of the landscaping work myself over the years, until now. I hired a guy to remove 3 Japanese Yews in front of our home rather than do the work myself. They'd become overgrown from 26 years of growth in spite of my best efforts to keep them trimmed. I was reading online where they're a real pain to remove because of their root structure and I just didn't want the hassle, not with all of the other yard work and such that I was doing. As it turned out, I think it would've been a fairly simple job for me but I'm just happy to have it done and I like the new look, which looks a lot like the old look from the summer of '92.

The yews were home to wildlife, mostly rabbits and some birds that liked to take shelter among them but I suspect we may have had a fox bedding down in them at times. This cat's collar appeared once the shrubs were removed, suggesting that someone's pet may have met its demise there. The address on the collar is from a few blocks away and I have no intention of telling the homeowner of my find. That's why I always stand outside with our pups when I let them out.

Since the beginning of the month, I've been giving Toby a daily dose of glucosamine/chondroitin to help with arthritis which is most noticeable in his rear legs, especially when he runs. It seems to be helping. If only there was help for his vision and his hearing which are both significantly diminished at 15 years, 2 months. We've also started using a diaper on Toby while he's indoors. He's been piddling in the house lately and this has been a big help. The diaper is restrictive and causes him to wait until we take it off and let him outside but it's there in case it's needed.

I made it out to The Bridges Golf Course in Winona last week. Tammy was going to come with me and bum around the city but she took a pass so I went by myself. I was so impressed with the course. It's a 4-hour round-trip but I enjoyed the drive. I caught up with a threesome and they offered to let me play through or join them. I was happy to have their company and the course knowledge they no doubt had to offer so I joined them. The course is very hilly and offers some beautiful views, especially this time of year with the fall colors, although they're past their peak now. I didn't score well but it was the most fun I'd had golfing all year.

Scott came into town a few days ago from the east coast. Lyle met us at Crystal Lake this morning for a round of golf. Our tee time was pushed back just a bit while we waited for the frost to dissipate. It was a tad cool but it warmed nicely by the time we finished the front 9.

Scott, Lyle, and I go back more than 36 years to when we hired on within a few months of each other with the FAA and worked together at Minneapolis Center. It was nice to do some catching up.

That's all I've got.