The Last Friday in November 2011

Oak trees shed their leaves
Scatter them across brown lawns
A chill in the air

When I went outside to pick up my newspaper, I noticed that there were yellow and gold oak leaves scattered across the neighbor’s yard. A few of the leaves were falling, but most of the leaves still clung to the tree. This afternoon the wind increased and more leaves fell from the tree. In a couple of days, someone will begin raking the leaves and putting them in a trash bag for the garbage trucks to hall away.

When I was a child, people racked leaves into piles and burned them. I can remember my grandfather raking the cottonwood and elm leaves that covered his yard. After he racked the leaves into piles, he would burn them. Grandpa always had a water hose close by in case of an emergency. He never burned leaves without having a source of water incase the fire got out of hand.

Today, it is against the law the burn leaves in the city, so the leaves we put into bags or trashcans and let the garbage trucks hall them away. The leave could also be used as mulch, but since neither my neighbor nor myself plant a garden the leaves are put in the trash.

Where the elm tree used to be

There is some sort of tree or bush growing where the elm tree used to stand. It started growing there last year after the elm tree blew down. It grew into a bush and then it died off. Now this spring I noticed another bush growing where the elm tree used to be.

I don't know what type of a bush it is, I don't think it's an off shot of the elm tree roots which are still there. It's growing again this year, the leave appear to be elm leaves. However I am not an expert when it comes to identifying leaves. The only leaves I can identify are those that are unusual or stand out in some way.

I think there could be a story in this experience with the elm and the plant that's growing by the elm's roots. Nature is wonderful and mysterious at the same time. We're having a drought here in the La Vegas area. We haven't received a lot of rain this year. Yet there is a bush with leaves growing beside the dead trunk of and elm tree. There has to be some sort of lesson to learn. Maybe it is just that life survives no matter what the odds against it at any specific time. Life will find a way.

The same thing is true for human beings as well. Humans are survivors; humans will survive no matter what the odds against the human race. Humanity will survive even its own stupidity. We will get through this present crisis and on the other side of it, we will be united as a single species. Together humanity will survive, but we need each other to do that. Even as the bush in my yard seems to need, the elm trees roots and trunk for its survival.