FALL HAS GONE (AND NUGGET HAD FUN)

Fall is over, it is supposed to snow some here in Denver. But I do not want fall to be over just yet. I saw some kids today. They were having a blast, running and jumping in a big pile of leaves. It looked like so much fun! When I got home, I thought that I would try being a kid again and jump in some leaves.

So I raked up a huge pile of leaves in our backyard, making sure that there was no dog poo in them. (Did that when I was smaller -- it's no fun smelling like poo.) Checked around to make sure that I wasn't being watched. And Nugget and I ran like the wind and jumped into the big pile of leaves.

OK, Nugget ran like the wind, I just kind of loped along, but I did make it to the pile of leaves.

At first it seemed fun and Nugget was having fun, but then things changed. I had leaves all over me, in my pants, down my shirt, in my socks, and in my ears. I had leaves in places that I didn't think leaves could get to. And Nugget had fun.

Then there is all that leaf dust. Up the nose, in your eyes, all over your face, in your shoes, in your pants, and it's now starting to itch. You sneeze and sneeze, and leaves are now in your mouth with all that dust. And Nugget had fun.

Now your eyes are watering and you have leaf dust streaks down your checks, and your nose is runny, and you have snorted up about 10 pounds of leaf dust. You can't seem to get your feet under you because you are sneezing so much. And now the dog is bouncing around you like he is insane. It seems that the more you sneeze, the crazier he gets. And your eyes are so watery you can't see whats in front of you. And Nugget had fun.

So you finally get your footing, stand up, and take your leaf-dusted hand and wipe your nose, and try to wipe your eyes, thinking that maybe you should have wiped your eyes first, before wiping your nose. And you are covered with leaves, and dust, and dog slobber, and your nose now seems to be like a waterfall. And you sneeze more and bite your tongun in the process. And Nugget had fun.

I staggered to the back door, and took the broom and brushed myself off the best I could, while sneezing my head off. So here I am, swollen tongue, snotty nose, watery eyes, covered in leaf dust, and I have bits of leaves stuck in my ears, and I now think that I may have swallowed a leaf or two also. Now the itch is worse, and it is in places that I can't reach. And Nugget had fun.

I now need to take a bath to get all of this dust, and snot, and leaves off of me. And it gets me to wondering: When I was a little kid, did all of this take place also? Am I just too old to remember? I don't know.

I took a bath, cleaned up, used some eye drops, blew my nose for the hundredth time, and took a look at my bitten tougne, which wasn't quite as bad as I thought. And that dog is still out there in the pile of leaves.

I have found out that I may be a little to old for this sport now, but it brought back some fond memories.

I remember jumping in lots of piles of leaves as a child, and it was lots of fun. My Dad would even cover us up with them. We could play for hours in those piles of leaves, until there was nothing left of the leaves except little pieces. How much harder those little pieces are to rake up and put in bags! But back when I was a kid, we used to burn the leaves, and I loved the smell.

We had a dog back then, named Tippy, and we all had fun.