We worked hard on our yard clean-up this weekend. If you want to know how we persuaded the boys outside for big parts of the day, check out Fall Yard Clean Up which allows you to download a free e-book with hints and tricks to try to encourage the kids outdoors.

As we were raking our front yard, the boys spotted this lonely leaf, the last on the big tree that we’ve been watching shedding for weeks.

“What do you think made this one hang on?” Red asked, staring up at it. “Do you think it isn’t ready for winter?”

I laughed and we looked at all the other leaves swirling around our feet. “Come on, little leaf,” Red said, jumping high, trying to catch it. “Come on down, we’re waiting for you.”

“It’ll fall when it’s ready, ” I said. “The great thing about nature is that it will all happen, in its own time.”  And sure enough, this morning I left the house in the dark, the temperature barely hovering above freezing, and the leaf was gone.