So I bought a new leaf blower. I was tired of the blisters on my hands and many hours raking every fall. This was my first time to ever use one though. First I had to assemble it. It showed me 3 pictures that really told me nothing.   It became a process of "let's try this part here".  Having never even seen one up close or held one, this was a challenge.  Still, I figured it out. Once I got it together, I shrugged my shoulders like "oh yeah, now I see what that picture means". Maybe it was one of my senior moments? 
So I headed outside with my new toy. I didn't know what to expect when I pushed the on button. I've got 3 speeds, so best to start slow. I was a bit scared - what to expect, whether the force would knock me down.  High tech new toys just scare me to no end. So then I hit the first speed.
 The speed was amazing, the force behind it. I was standing on my dirt-filled front porch, and suddenly all the dirt was in my neighbor's yard!  I saw the leaves blow right back where they had blown from in my neighbor's yard. (I recalled how they left me all those branches to pick up during our last storm, so I figured it was time for payback.)  That sucker had some real blowing power!! 
Then I was no longer scared. I became overwhelmed with the power!! I headed out into the yard and found it exciting to see the leaves fly into the air. After working on my project awhile, I found a tree root sticking up from the ground, tripped over it.  Now you all know I break bones easily, so I had to drop the leaf blower and grab the tree to re-balance myself. Thank God for tree bark!! I just could imagine laying in the yard midst the leaves calling for help. Luckily though, I caught myself. Whew!! My sons would have given me a big lecture for doing this if they knew.
Trouble with leaf blowers, they don't give you blisters but what an aerobic workout for me. That machine was a bit heavy for me. I thought it was going to just be a lightweight event of blowing leaves. Afterwards I was so sore in the arms and shoulders, I knew what muscles had not been used in awhile. My wrist didn't like it either - the one where I had surgery last year, just couldn't handle the motion.
I realize now this just isn't as much fun as I anticipated. The darn leaves didn't cooperate. They would blow into a stack, and when I blew them towards the curb, some would blow back where I did not intend them to go. Surely there is a method to learn in this art. I found it exciting though to blow leaves into my neighbors' yards. Not intentionally of course, you know how those leaves drift in the air! 
Anyway, I got up the next morning to admire my yard again. It was covered!! Leaves everywhere!! Not a blade of grass to be seen. All my work was truly in vain, as that tree dumped a bushel during the night. So this time I called my son to do the job. He likes high tech toys, so let him discover the aerobic workout. Meanwhile, I'm heading for the advil bottle.
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