Extra Credit

My backyard yesterday morning, after the Halloween winds

Jake loves to lay down in leaves

Jake particularly loves to lay down in a freshly raked pile of leaves

Gracie checking Jake's ear

Sticking her tongue in his ear

Mom!!! My pile!

I raked about 2/3's of the yard yesterday afternoon, filling  3 big black bags. Had to quit due to my back saying it was time to stop. We will get out there and finish it up today. Then comes the fun part of dragging these monsters around to the front for pick up.

I did show the first photo of my yard to class participants yesterday, telling them they could earn extra credit (?) if they wanted to exercise with Linda and rake leaves. Bring your own rake. They laughed. And then the reactions were very telling. "Why rake? good mulch." "We never rake. Too much like work and we're retired." When I explained that the yard is not big, and that the 6 foot privacy fence traps the leaves inside my property, they just shrugged and said they still would not rake.

I would like to share a few thoughts on this subject, then will shut up. Raking is good exercise. Fresh, fall air is good for the immune system. Bending to grab armfuls of leaves is a basic squat and develops 3 muscle groups. Here are some other tips: parking at the end of the lot and walking to the door adds steps to your day. Pushing the shopping cart to the cart corral does the same, instead of leaving it anywhere to be hit or damage a car.

Our bodies were meant to be used. The muscles can atrophy and wither if the only exercise you perform is picking up a remote control. I move because I still can. I exercise because it makes me feel better in the long run. And I rake my own leaves, mow my own grass, because it gives me a sense of accomplishment.

But I'm weird like that. Enjoy yourselves.
Linda