Raking

I had just finished filling my yard bin and a neighbor's. But the weather was so lovely that I thought it was a shame to waste the warm weather so I did some raking that was needed due to the winds that had been blowing 'stuff' from my trees. The squirrels love to rip apart the pine cones and the results look like the bottom of a hamster cage. Also the long needled pines in the yard have been heavily stressed due to the hot dry summer and now the cold dry winter so they drop needles by the bushel. So here are the four piles I raked together ready for when the next bin becomes empty. The wonderful news was ANOTHER neighbor came over and asked if I would help fill her bin(using my yard debris). So I half filled it and will be able to get rid of the rest before the little men come by to renew my abilities to clear up my yard. Time was, in the not so distant past, that I could fill a 55 gallon bin in 15 minutes. I can say this happened on more than one occasion and I am not exaggerating. I had piles of the pine needles in the yard that were years old and when a bit of space showed up, or even entire bins, I had handy detritus with which to fill them. Slowly I have got most of the piles under control and now just have the needles tucked under the junipers on the corner. Twice a month the day come closer when someone will offer me some space and I will have to tell them that I haven't the slightest idea what I will put in it. My description doesn't make it sound any closer, but the results tell me it is.