My Mega Maple

October is coming to a close and the enormous maple tree in my front yard has dropped half a dump truck of leaves in about a 1 house radius.  Funny thing is, it's still green!

I have a beautiful, huge, old maple tree in my front yard.  It is a fair chunk of what sold me on renting this house.  It provides shade for the house in the summer.  It can be a bit scary in the spring though when the winds are blowing strong.  Branches hang right over the whole front half of the house!

I am not the only one who enjoys this tree.  There is a whole club.  I caught this little...er, uh, chubby guy scratching an itch.  There are lots of birds, squirrels and chipmunks that keep this tree active year round.

I anticipate the tree turning a bright golden yellow and all the leaves falling off within the next 3 weeks.  I would LOVE to mulch the leaves, but I am not set up to do that.  Maybe someday when I own my own house.  Mulching leaves is a great way to "dispose" of the leaves responsibly, especially if you live in town.  Compost piles make wonderful garden medium in the spring!  Yes, I am dreaming big :~)  I also can't wait until I can turn vegetable scraps into fertilizer!  Ah yes, the worms will be so excited.