FOTD: Not Drifting Yet by Rich Paschall

In our part of the Midwest, the leaves are just turning colors. It seems to be coming a bit later in recent years. Climate change, perhaps?

Sugar maple tree in the Albany Park neighborhood

In years past we used to scoop up the fallen leaves and stuff them in orange plastic pumpkin face leaf bags. We could usually fill a number of them by Halloween and leave them on the lawn and maybe one on the porch. I don’t buy those bags anymore. In recent years I could not even fill one by Halloween. In fact, one year the ground was covered with snow for Halloween and the leaves were still on the trees.

A stately tree

The giant tree behind the house is just starting to show some yellow on the leaves. The tree in front of the house is equally as big. There will be plenty of leaves drifting by the window soon, but apparently not soon enough. Maybe we need turkey-shaped leaf bags for Thanksgiving. No matter when they start falling, it will provide a lot of work that I am no longer excited to do. Decades ago, it seemed like such fun to rake them into giant piles and jump in. Now, not so much.

Since you went away
The days grow long
And soon I’ll hear
Old winter’s song

But I miss you most of all
My darling
When autumn leaves
Start to fall

For those who prefer, we can offer the original French version.

Song Writer(s): Johnny Mercer, Jacques Prevert, Joseph Kosma

Categories: Music, Rich Paschall, Trees

Tags: autumn colors, autumn leaves, changing leaves, raking leaves