# Futility witnessed on a fall day **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 14, 2015, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/futility-witnessed-on-a-fall-day/737578 "2015-11-14T17:24:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/futility-witnessed-on-a-fall-day/737578/1 "2015-11-14T17:24:45Z")
My neighbor has been out with his leaf blower on what is arguably the windiest day of the past several months. We’re talking trash cans being blown down the street kinda windy. Luckily, it’s not one of those obnoxiously loud leaf blowers, but still, it made me scratch my head when I saw it. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/futility-witnessed-on-a-fall-day/737578/2 "2015-11-14T18:03:57Z")
I feel the same way when I see someone trying to use a leaf blower on sodden leaves. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/futility-witnessed-on-a-fall-day/737578/3 "2015-11-14T18:25:33Z")
I feel that way about myself piling up leaves in this windy weather–and I use a rake! I’ve cleared all the leaves out of the gutter by the curb three times, and no doubt I’ll be doing it again. (The county’s not sending a truck around to vacuum up leaves from the curb. They _never_ have, but a lot of people around here think, “Hey, this is the year they’ll start!”) If leaves clog the storm drains, there could be flooding. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/futility-witnessed-on-a-fall-day/737578/4 "2015-11-14T19:03:47Z")
> [@sparky\_1](#): > > My neighbor has been out with his leaf blower on what is arguably the windiest day of the past several months. > > We’re talking trash cans being blown down the street kinda windy. > > Luckily, it’s not one of those obnoxiously loud leaf blowers, but still, it made me scratch my head when I saw it. I got a great visual of your neighbor dueling with his blower against the wind. And the leaves are confused. ---
**Author:** ![CT\_Damsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/futility-witnessed-on-a-fall-day/737578/5 "2015-11-14T19:33:42Z")
I really need to get a windsock so I will notice which way the wind is blowing BEFORE I lug the blower out and start:smack: My first day of leaf removal this year had intermittent wind. Of course it was blowing from the direction where I wanted the leaves to collect:( ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/futility-witnessed-on-a-fall-day/737578/6 "2015-11-14T22:24:47Z")
> [@CT\_Damsel](#): > > I really need to get a windsock so I will notice which way the wind is blowing… That should do it. I don’t think you need a weatherman. mmm ---
**Author:** ![CT\_Damsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/futility-witnessed-on-a-fall-day/737578/7 "2015-11-14T23:07:33Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > That should do it. I don’t think you need a weatherman. > mmm Sure I could go that route; but a windsock we look cool. 🆒 Also I just noticed that if I place my cursor over the little blue arrows at the bottom of wunderground it shows the direction of the wind:smack: ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/futility-witnessed-on-a-fall-day/737578/8 "2015-11-15T00:10:39Z")
Hurray! A neighbor vacuumed up a bunch of leaves from my lawn. (They were from his tree, but I usually rake up what falls on my side.) ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/futility-witnessed-on-a-fall-day/737578/9 "2015-11-15T00:12:08Z")
Who is he to blow against the wind? ---
**Author:** ![CT\_Damsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/futility-witnessed-on-a-fall-day/737578/10 "2015-11-15T00:41:40Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > Who is he to blow against the wind? [maybe that is the only tune he can play](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiviKbxP9xM)😃 youtube link ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/futility-witnessed-on-a-fall-day/737578/11 "2015-11-15T02:28:32Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > Who is he to blow against the wind? Well, that’s where the answer is. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/futility-witnessed-on-a-fall-day/737578/12 "2015-11-15T13:47:59Z")
I have spent at least 15 hours leaf blowing our yard this Fall. I will not even attempt it if I see any breeze at all. Once in a while though the wind will pick up while I’m blowing and I’m done for the day. Unless it’s at my back, that’s such a great feeling. It feels effortless. I still have one more round of blowing to do now that the trees are all bare. I’m doing it tomorrow, because the forecast is saying there will be no wind at all. My village picks up leaves until the 20th, so I’m just under the wire. The village already came around and filled the sand buckets (6 big sheetrock buckets) for us, and I have my new snow blower ready. I am as set for Winter as I’ll ever be.