Leaf piles

To make the chore of leaf-raking in the fall more interesting, I try to pile my leaves artistically. This also has the advantage of taking up less space on the street until the city picks them up. It is not easy to put them in a high pile in such a way that they don't fall over or blow away. To accomplish this, I cram them into a garbage can, so that they become compacted, and then compact them more as I place them on the pile. No leaf-blowers or vacuumers for me. It is also helpful that they be somewhat wet when I rake them. I have been doing this for about 13 years, but I believe that this photo, taken in November 2003, depicts my best pile yet. It is 5 1/2 feet high. My 2007 pile was just about as good.