By raking, I mean leaf blowers. Except for me, 'cause I actually rake with a rake.

It is raking season here in Sacramento. The elms and sycamores that hold hands over our streets start rustling around in October; by November they’ve loosened up enough to shed those itchy leaves. Leaves cover lawns and sidewalks deep enough to form drifts. If you rake in the morning, when you come home from work your lawn will be entirely covered again. My long time readers already know that I cap off a year of not mowing my lawn by not raking my leaves, but I do try to keep the sidewalks clear.

The people who do rake, however, get the benefit of one of my favorite things about Sacramento. Sacramento has no greenwaste containers; instead you can put any amount of greenwaste out in piles on the street. Just like that, huge piles. This time of year, you’ll see piles four feet deep and ten feet long of leaves. On your trash pick-up day, two guys come along, one driving a truck to hold the green waste and the other driving The Claw, which scoops the pile up and puts it in the truck. The Claw drivers are deft; I’ve seen them get awkward piles with branches and stuff out from under cars with no problems. If you happen to be riding your bike on Freeport Boulevard at six in the morning, you’ll see a line of Claws leaving the yard, orange lights shining in the fog. Love ‘em.

I love that you can just put your greenwaste out on the street. I took advantage of that just last week. I hired a friend to dig out the front two islands between my sidewalk and the street and build long beds*. He probably put a couple cubic yards of roots and grass out on the street. I think they’re not supposed to pick up straight dirt, but I know the guys who drive the Claw and truck for my street, having waved at them several times. They would pick up my dirt, for sure. Saved me the expense of a dumpster.

My love for Sacramento’s pile pick-up puts me in conflict with Sacramento’s bicycling advocacy community, whom I would otherwise agree with all the time about everything. And, truth told, now that I’m biking through dark, wet streets with my hands in my pockets to keep them warm, I am becoming less fond of large, barely visible obstacles. Much as I hate to disagree with the bike crew, I’ll hold out for a little longer before joining the anti-pile crowd. I just love the Claws and piles of leaves bigger than cars that much.





*I’m thinking rudbeckia, Shasta daisies, geums, bat-faced cuphea, coreopsis, lavenders, salvias, and sages. What am I missing? Has to be lower than three feet tall, not thirsty and I prefer cutting flowers. I have lots of space.

Oh yeah! White japanese anemones, too.