[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

I guess I can see the point regarding places like the Villages and other tightly packed urban areas, with postage stamp lots packed in tightly, with no place to blow leaves, lawn clippings, debris, etc….contemplating the pro and cons. On the other hand, I don’t know what I’d do without my Stihl Magnum BR 800 2 cycle backpack leaf blower at our northern home. When one owns several acres of land in a rural area, surrounded by woods, with no close neighbors, try telling them they can’t use their $750 blower when their property is covered with leaves in early November. Every spring, when I drive back up north after a wonderful winter in the Villages, I bring about 10 gallons of ethanol free gas with me so I can fire up the blower and clear our property, my blind brothers property, the family lake house, and my 90 year old father in laws. There is no way I could do all that without my wonderful Stihl, which blows out hurricane force winds from a backpack. I hate urbanites trying to dictate to folks living in rural areas how they should live their lives.

We had 3/4 acre of wooded land, so yeah I get the leaf issue. Hubby used a push-blower. I preferred an old fashioned rake. It was just so so so satisfying, and the only noise was the sound of crunching leaves. It was also incredibly rewarding to bring all those leaves into 6-foot piles at the curb. Then fall back into the piles and stare up at the blue sky through the canopy of crimson and mustard-yellow leaves waving down at me on the branches of the maple trees. It's what I miss most about my home in New England - the whole autumn experience.