#695 in a series of true experiences in real estate
Our next door neighbors have a large golden leaf gingko tree which we love very much. Late in the year, later, in fact, than all the other gingko trees, blankets and flurries of these yellow leaves fall to the ground and to our roof and rain gutters. It’s quite beautiful.
This year the rains came and made wet leaf packs in our gutters. What could we do? We left them. When we had clear weather again Anet said, “I think I’ll get the leaf blower and blow out the gutters I can reach.”
She likes that blower. She often takes it to our listings to do “just a few minutes” of leaf blowing on porches and decks. So she got the blower and her eye protective glasses and a small ladder, plugged in a long orange extension cord on the blower, and began. She aimed into the nearest gutter and turned on the switch.
Blooey! Wet leaves, whole and pieces, miscellaneous gunk, and quite a bit of water exploded everywhere – up in the air, all over Anet, her jacket, her glasses. Also the roof, house siding and windows. Whole and partial leaves blew to the ground and onto patio, sun umbrellas and nearby chairs.
It was dramatic as any explosion would be. “Wow” Anet said, climbing down from the ladder and wiping bits from her face, “We’ll have to wash everything off but it will be fine.” She was enjoying herself. She was positioned too low to see where exactly to point the nozzle so she waved the end back and forth, up and down. Chaff tat-tat-tatted in bursts.
She moved the ladder a few feet and climbed up again, many more times blowing much more debris out of the gutters and onto everything in the vicinity.
Anet looked like a mud man. I plucked a spider off her face, just happened to get there as he landed, did not tell her though because I know how she feels about spiders.
There are still packs of leaves in some parts of the gutters, especially the turns and corners, and piles of leaves on the ground. We pulled out the garden hose and squirted bits off the siding and windows but could not reach the umbrella tops. “We’ll let the rain wash the rest,” Anet said, cheerfully.
She put things away, went off to take a shower and put her clothes in the washer.
We do know a very good gutter man, must get him next year when the gingko leaves fall. There is no mess when he clears the gutters.
