My husband grew up in Oklahoma. He constantly comments on the sheer quantity of trees that cover every nook of the St. Louis area - frequently not in a positive way. Personally I love it. If I can't have mountains on the horizon, at least the trees block the view to remind me of their absence. They also offer a smidge of reprieve from the sweltering summer heat. And of course the riot of color they produce in the fall is simply breathtaking.
The drawback to the lovely trees are the falling leaves that must be raked up and at some point be dug out of the gutters. Ian was convinced he was scared of heights so I offered to scamper up the extension ladder to scoop the muck out of the gutters. Well, not ten minutes into my job Ian decided it looked not quite so intimidating (I guess if an old woman can do it a 14 yr old boy shouldn't be so scared). He quickly took over my duties and before you know it he was ON the roof!
And now my gutters flow freely and all of the twigs have been removed from my roof.
