The Rake's Progress

Three-fourths of the Earth's surface is water, and one-fourth is land.  It is quite clear that the good Lord intended us to spend triple the amount of time fishing as taking care of the lawn.  ~Chuck Clark

If there's any truth to that, I have a divine mandate for a full week of fall steelheading. Spend half of Friday and most of Saturday and Sunday raking leaves. Finished the job, but at the expense of some grading and other school chores hanging over my head. I'll be doing quite of bit of explaining to my students this week about why I haven't got what I promised them last week. Usually it's the other way around.

Worse things can come from raking, though. One of my neighbors is a fireman, and over the fence Sunday, he told me he'd been called out three times over the weekend to put out brush fires that started when burning leaf piles got out of control. At least I didn't burn down the neighborhood. And in all probability, my yard work for the year is done!