The Fall

Love the fall. It’s my favorite season. I feel like my lungs open up (relatively, for someone with COPD) and that I can breathe so much better than I can in the hot, humid summer.

On my weather app, from April through September, chances are I’m looking at the relative humidity measurement first and temperature second. But, from October through March, it’s strictly the temperature I’m after.

The fun of gardening

The other morning was a typical, beautiful, Northeast U.S. fall day – temperatures started out in the high 40’s and began climbing steadily from 8:00 until, by noon, they’d reached 58 degrees. I decided I’d blow the leaves off the front lawn.

Having moved to the grassy suburbs of New Jersey from the asphalt of Brooklyn, it was always fun to “garden” and to take part in all the activities associated with that term. Years ago, I’d gone to Home Depot and chatted up the salesman who showed me (and sold me) a number of rakes and shovels and large bristled brooms to take care of all those leaves that were rapidly (and beautifully) descending from the heavens.

I remember when our middle guy was about 4 or 5 and had to stay home because of a strong cold and sniffles. We were looking out the window of his room when he asked me “Dad. Why are we fall?” (He was trying to ask why the season is called fall). All I had to do was point to the maple in our front yard which was caught up in the midst of a relatively strong wind. Its branches were shaking, and its leaves were – well – FALL-ing. When I told him to watch what the leaves were doing, I thought there’d be a huge grin of recognition I got an “oh…” instead. Oh well. He wasn’t in top form that day!

Beautiful colors

I got the blower in my pre-COPD diagnosis days. The yard was just a little too big as I got older and raking took forever (It’s a young-ER man’s game) So - away I went - such a great day - such beautiful colors.

I strapped on my oxygen tank which I keep in my old, black, NIKE backpack, got the leaf blower off the shelf in the garage, pulled on the starter rope and, lo and behold, it started right up.

Breathing in dust

I couldn’t believe my luck. “Maple leaves? Look out!” The leaves were cooperating and began bunching up together, headed in the right direction – the street curb (the town comes and picks them up.) And then, almost immediately, I began coughing my fool head off. The dust.

As you probably know, when leaves begin to decompose, they become brittle and break up and, eventually, turn to dust. And the more I blew, the more dust I was stirring up and breathing in through my nose. I stopped everything, turned it all off and took a look at my cannula. Yep – there was the evidence; dust.

I started to turn back to put the blower away and to go back inside on that glorious fall day. How come I hadn’t thought of the dust I’d be blowing up? Then I remembered – the masks. I had ordered dust masks - years before - when my wife and I were painting the porch. The trick now was to try and remember where I’d put them (I’m not the world’s most neat guy – ask my wife, Marisa!).

But – there they were on the 3rd shelf. Just where I thought they’d be. Cannula in nostrils, mask over cannula, oxygen on, blower on – and I was in business!

I spent a terrific 30 minutes on the front lawn getting those leaves to the curb. I must say – I probably looked like something out of a horror movie (I did get a few stares from kids walking home from school), but I didn’t care. There was no way I was going to be prevented from enjoying an outstanding Fall day. Even if “working” (if you want to call leaf-blowing “working?”) was going to help me do it!

Winter is never far behind

But, remember - the drawback about fall is that winter is never far behind. So, get yourself and your living quarters ready for possible extreme weather conditions. Stay active. It’s tempting to sit and be inactive, but exercise (to your capabilities) can really help.

Do you have a shovel and/or snow blower or do you know someone who can do these things with you/for you, if needed? Do your flashlights have batteries? After Hurricane Sandy hit us we bought a generator mostly so that my oxygen compressor could be powered if the electricity went out. Is your heat working okay? Take some time for yourself if you can.

I think that fall and winter are Earth’s way of telling us to slow down if we need to. Try and make some plans for the cold months. In the winter, we tend to hibernate if we don’t have things to keep us busy.

Most of all, be kind to yourself. The shorter days can be depressing for some and flu season causes sickness. Get your shots! And enjoy the seasons!