Fall or Spring?

Friday I was outside for quite awhile raking (the 2ND time) the leaves in my yard. I filled two yard waste paper bags and a regular garbage container. It's been so windy this whole week so I haven't even bothered going out prior to then. I think the wind gusts on Wednesday were up to 45 mph....give or take. My big tree in the front yard still has about 1/4 of it's leaves still hanging on as if not wanting to accept the fact that winter is just around the corner. I don't blame them! (Do leaves think like that???) Anyway, I don't plan on doing anymore raking this year. My neighbor to the east hasn't raked and their leaves haven't migrated to my property too much. I found a lot of leaves on the west side. It seems to be the area that the wind swirls them into the most. The fence aids in trapping the leaves back there as well. My grass is still nice and green and the weather has been very mild yesterday and today so it doesn't seem like it should be fall. Right now it feels like spring.

Looking southwest at my still leaf covered tree

Other trees around either bare or partially covered as well.

I think I may have to dig out what Christmas lights that I have and start figuring out where to hang them. I have seen others in the stores that I'd like to purchase to add to the yard and house. Hopefully the weather stays warm enough for a few more days.

I kind of felt like my Mom yesterday. She was so good at getting the outside of the windows of the house washed up. She would use the pickup and get her little red and white step stool, bucket of water, squidgy and a couple old rags. The pickup was backed up to each window that was out of reach from the ground, then she would climb on the step stool (that was in the bed of the pickup) and wash each window like this. I, fortunately, didn't have to use a pickup to reach the windows. But I did use my step stool and cleaned a couple windows on the front of my house. Mom instantly came to mind. When the sun shines into these particular windows, they show all the dust and small fingerprints of the young neighbor girls that have come over to visit. They will stand and peer into the windows, with hands acting as sun shades around their eyes to view into the house, and see if I'm home or coming to answer the door! But next spring, I'll have to wash the other windows on the house. My ladder will allow me to reach these, with the exception of the two on the second level. I'll have to get on the roof to reach these.

Last year at this time, I was preparing for my drive to ND to spend Thanksgiving with my family. I can't believe it's been a year already!

As mild as the weather is today, it's like a spring day......or is it fall?