Yesterday, I gave inconspicuous gazes as the neighbor, quite in vain, I might add, dutifully used his trusty leaf-blowing appurtenance in an all-but-futile attempt at bringing a prim and proper look to his yard, that is, after having tended to lawn-mowing and edging chores. What I observed from my across-the-street vantage point was the cloud of dust, dirt and debris that was kicked up in the process, the plume enveloping everything and everyone in its space (that would be my neighbor in this case), the bulk of which was going every which way a person could possibly imagine. I wasn’t staring, no; just paying slight, glancing looks, enough for me to see the hopelessness of it all.
His, a story that’s repeated many times over by many people, is for what reason exactly?
For those who make yard work their livelihood, imagine the additional number of jobs that could be had by foregoing the leaf-blowing part of the operation. I mean, it’s not like anyone getting their lawn manicured is going to get too terribly upset, or anything. On the contrary: I would have to surmise that all concerned should be highly appreciative of such action. I mean, think of all the fallout that could be avoided by ditching this (in my view) ridiculous practice. Moreover, if there isn’t a good rain or wind event to wash, blow, respectively, these troubles (by troubles, I mean the mixture of dirt, dust and debris) elsewhere, it is a good bet the automated dust-, dirt- and debris-blowing activity will send the refuse airborne only to settle on the property next door, out in the street and, believe it or not, right back to the place from whence it came and hence the futile reference.
After all, it’s not like the particles set aloft would ever become an “out-of-sight, out-of-mind” situation or something, because unlike dust, dirt and even trash at times that’s found inside the home during regular or irregular cleaning cycles, the outside stuff flying about, can’t be swept under the rug, not that anyone ever does that, right?
So, I’m thinking of my own house-/yard-cleaning situation. Just last week I took the time to clean and tidy up my garage.
Sure, there was dirt and interestingly enough, “leaves” scattered about which warranted picking up, which I proceeded to do. Only, to accomplish this task I relied on dustpan and broom.
Predominantly dust, lint, dirt and spider webs abounded, and for these two cleaning-up accessories, it was total success. The piles of debris formed from sweeping were transferred to the dustpan, lifted up and then on into the trash bin it went, and little, if any at all ever became airborne, which when you think about it, that’s the beauty of removing said substance this way. It was an encore performance regarding the residue resting on the concrete walkway in evidence on the side of the house. Amazingly, no leaf-blower required!
My own history involving leaf-blowing devices isn’t a very favorable one. A really unforgettable one happened at of all places a wedding I once attended, and whereby the bride and groom both dressed to the nines, were showered not with the traditional fare – rice, but instead with, you guessed it, rained-down particles all courtesy of a careless, clueless leaf-blower person doing, well, the dirty work one might say from the building adjacent to where the matrimonial event had only moments before just taken place. Fortunately, for the happy couple that day, having successfully tied the knot, the whole dirt-blowing misstep was just brushed off. As well, it should be.
If there is a positive takeaway from the dust-blowing escapade to that which my neighbor yesterday initiated, it is that the device he was using to get the task at hand done, it was that the one he employed was an electric, and not a gas-driven type. Hope springs eternal, doesn’t it?
To the uninitiated: Do you think the apparatuses that are the focus of this dialogue, have been given the name leaf-blower, that there is a reason behind this?
Alternatively speaking, as it has to do with leaf-blower operation, using such indoors, as per manufacturer instructions, “indoors” probably ain’t on the list. Not difficult to conjure in one’s mind the glaringly obvious reason for this.
Here I believe this phrase is appropriate: Get my drift?!
– Alan Kandel
Here in the San Joaquin Valley, leaf drop lasts 3 months but dust blowers operate year round.
With those odds we should call them what they are: “Dust, pollen and scat propulsion and distribution systems”, whether or not they are engine or battery powered.