I remember, many years ago, being in London and in Hyde Park, seeing men on soapboxes, going on and on about various subjects. My soapbox here is the horse mounting block. I do sometimes stand on it and pontificate. And sometimes I get on a figurative soapbox, which is when I write dispatches.

Here we go – yesterday I was out riding and went past what we call “The Compound,” three residences on two properties that belong to one family. Pat and Ray, the original owners of the two lots, are long gone. Now Craig, Pat’s son, has moved to town, leaving Pat’s daughter and son in law in the big house, and her

Hrimmi and Tyra graze up next to the house

grandson Anthony in the cabin that Ray built. Now Anthony 30, appears to be in charge of Craig’s old place.

Yesterday I saw him going round and round on his ATV – a mower was attached to it. The mower mulched lawn material, mostly leaves, went into a large bag. On my return trip I noticed two mulched piles of leaves and debris across the street from Craig’s old place. My one and only thought was stupid, stupid, stupid boy – wasting gas and time that could be more productive. I then recalled that Gardener/Anchorage Daily News columnist Jeff Lowenfels had in the past written about the importance of leaving leaves on the lawn. He asserted that the decaying matter is good for the soil.

Well, coincidently, he wrote about this very subject again today. It was the same old argument, but with a twist; the twist being that leaving the leaves and fall debris on the lawn is good for the lawns AND the environment in general. I hadn’t thought of this, but yes, if those who are so judicious about getting those leaves up (and putting them in plastic bags) just chilled, this would partially forestall further deterioration of the planet.

I was cheered by his reasoning. I was also cheered by the fact that grass has appeared on my plots, the portion of the lawn that I covered with cardboard, compost, and grass seed. It’s really, in the great scope of things, a pathetically small area – the horses could graze it out in five minutes. But I feel like, yes, I am making the world a better place.

I felt so good about this seemingly minor accomplishment that today I made yet another plot. This one is adjacent to the other three – my handiwork is located up against the fence on the far side of our property. I am going to have to keep an eye on it and pull the weeds when I see them coming up.

I wish I had enough cardboard and compost to do the entire property. I don’t, so I am going to have to do this piecemeal over the next few years. I also want to get some herb seeds and get some patches growing. Bill is still taking our manure – a big time saver – as importantly, he too is making the world a better place by spreading it on the roadside. He says that grass is growing where he spread it.

I am now hopping off my mounting block for a bit. Can’t stay up there forever. But like Jeff Lowenfels, I can hop off and down at will.

Next: 273. 10/3/19: Grrmmph