8/8/2019 How to Jump on a Pile of Leaves

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ILLUSTRATION BY

CHRIS WARE/MCT

NATURE’SBIG SHOW

So, leaf diving’s not your thing?There are still plenty of ways tomake the most of the season.

In search of fall color

One of the best ways to enjoy fallis to visit an area during its peak 

color period. Drop in on one of the following Web sites for regu-lar fall color updates.

■ U.S Forest Servicewww.fs.fed.us/news/fallcolors/ 

■ The Weather Channel

www.weather.com/maps/geography/northeastus/northeastusnormalfallpeaks_large.html

■ Connecticut

www.ct.gov (search for “fallfoliage”)

■ Maine

www.state.me.us/doc/foliage/ 

■ Massachusetts

www.massvacation.com/fallfoliage

■ Missouri

mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/out-door-recreation/nature-viewing/ trees-and-forests/fall-colors

■ New Hampshire

www.visitnh.gov/4-seasons/ fall-harvest/foliage

■ New York 

fallgetaways.iloveny.com

■ Ozark Mountains

(Arkansas and Missouri)www.ozarkmtns.com/foliage/ index.asp

■ Pennsylvania

www.fallinpa.com/fallinpa/index.jsp

■ Wisconsin

www.travelwisconsin.com/fallcolor_report.aspx

SOURCES:

DETROIT ZOOLOGICAL

SOCIETY; WASHINGTON

STATE UNIVERSIT Y

EXTENSION

WORLD-CLASS EQUIPMENT:

One rake and childlike enthusiasm.

AGE LIMIT:

None.

SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED.There is something about a pile of fall leaves thatis irresistible: A sunny fall day with just the right

chill in the air. You take that long lunch in the park,and there they are. A jumble of red, gold and

orange leaves. Calling to you: “Come run throughme, toss my golden bounty in the air.”

“Dive in and roll around. ... You know you want to.”

But you resist the siren song. After all, you’rean adult, and leaf diving is for kids, right?

Silly rabbit.

We say the fun of jumping into leaves is for every-one. So allow us to reintroduce the older ones and

initiate youngsters to the fine art of leaf diving.

PICKING THE PILEThere are a couple of things to remember when selecting the perfect

pile of leaves for diving: depth and density.Too shallow, and people could get hurt; too deep, and you might

never get through them.Our highly unscientific research reveals that the ideal pile is at least 3

feet tall at the center and twice as wide. Yes, it’s a load of leaves, butyou only get to do this a couple of times a year, so do it right.

As for density, kick through the leaves a little to loosen the pile.Tightly packed leaves are no good.

Also, take note of where the pile is. Grass is best. If the leaves are any-where near a street, think twice. Curbs are the hidden dangers of leaf piles

(as some of us have found out the hard way — the really hard way). Thereis nothing like a belly flop onto concrete to make you hate autumn.

Stay away from leaves that look the slightest bit wet, and watch out

for sticks. And, most importantly, avoid leaves that are floating in water.

WHAT TO WEARNote: Fashion tips depend on crisp temperatures. Adjust accordingly.We’re talking about diving into leaves here, not running the Joan

Rivers gantlet at the Oscars, so really, you’re free to come as you are.But in the ideal leaf-diving universe, there are a few things you might

want to consider.First off, LEAVES CAN SCRATCH. You’ll no doubt come into con-

tact with the occasional branch or twig, so gloves are a good bet, and —

especially if you’ve got a head of hair on ya — a cap.Also, diving through the air in a barn jacket might seem nice and rus-

tic and Martha Stewart-ish, but think about it: You’ll be plucking leavesout of the pockets through March.

The same warning goes for clothes that are too loose — baggy hip-hop jeans could mean days of picking leaves out of your nether regions.

Instead, we recommend a cotton turtleneck (impenetrable to leaves)underneath a cozy old wool sweater.

And again, depending on how brisk it is, we recommend long johnsunderneath a pair of jeans. Extra padding could be good. You know. Curbs.

STYLE AND TECHNIQUEYou have your pile and your gear, so what’s next?

If you are 5, do what comes naturally. If you are several decadesolder, watch a 5-year-old first.

Leaf diving is about letting go and reveling in nature.Feeling a little cautious? Start slowly with a solid jump right into the

middle — feet or bottom first, your pick. Once you are waist-high inleaves, you’ll loosen up.

Wanna dive full force into nature? Try a Nestea plungeand just fall back into a pile of autumn goodness. (But

remember depth and density — see “Picking the Pile” — wedon’t want anybody with a busted noggin.)

Once you’ve dived into the leaf pile, what then?

Toss a few handfuls of leaves in the air and then make

sure to prepare the pile for the next person. — Holly E. Stepp and Heather Svokos,

 McClatchy Newspapers

DID YOU KNOW?The International Society of 

Arboriculture says a couple of key factors can determine whether

fall foliage colors explode in bril-liance or produce a muted palette.

Favorable conditions■ Fertile soil enhances the inten-sity of reds in leaves.

■The more sunlight a leaf receives,the more likely it is to turn red.

■Warm sunny days followed bycool nights with temperatures below45 degrees create the most favorableconditions for strong color.

Unfavorable conditions

■ Rainy or cloudy days near“peak coloration time” limit pho-tosynthesis and dampen thevividness of autumn color.

■ Freezing temperatures andheavy frost can significantlyreduce autumn color intensity by

damaging leaves before pigmentsare fully developed.

PRESERVING

LEAVESThe colors of autumn don’t

have to disappear with the onsetof winter. There are a variety of ways to preserve leaves that canlock in the fall beauty for severalweeks or more.

Traditional wax paper method

■ Place leaves between two lay-ers of wax paper.

■ Cover with an old towel.

■ Press the fabric with a warm ironfor about 30 seconds. This shouldseal the leaf in the wax paper.

■After, cut the leaves out fromthe two pressed wax paper sheets.But leave a narrow margin of wax paper around the leaf edge.Children should never preserveleaves with wax paper withoutparental supervision.

Microwave oven method

■ Pick fresh, colorful leavesfrom trees. Don’t use leaves thathave fallen already.

■ Place the leaves separately ontwo paper towel sheets in themicrowave oven, and cover themwith another sheet.

■Run the oven for 30 to 180 sec-onds. Drier leaves require less time.

Baking leaves in the microwave formore than three minutes could cre-ate a fire hazard. Leaves that curlfollowing time in the microwavehave not dried enough.

■Allow leaves to dry for one ortwo days. Then apply a sealant,such as an acrylic craft spray, tothe leaves.

Glycerin and water method

■ Submerge leaves in a pan filledwith a solution of one part glyc-erin and two parts water.

■ Let leaves soak in the solution fortwo to six days. Remove the leaves

and wipe off the excess liquid. — Chuck Myers,

 McClatchy-Tribune