When you live up on a hill above the river and the city stretches out below, there’s a few sounds you get used to, like auto noise from the freeway, the scream of late night motorcycle races, planes, helicopters, trains and on Sunday mornings, the sound of church bells. There are at least half a dozen churches within hearing distance and all ring their bells on the sabbath day. Easter in 2020, of course, was very different what with most of them closed due to “the Covid” as it is known around here. No bells were heard, and an eerie silence pervaded.
My house (by choice) is surrounded by trees, some of which I planted, some I just let come up from seed and some, well, they just kinda are “there”. Of course, there are trade-offs to having all these trees and come fall, my work begins. I must pay for my love of trees and this fall was no exception.
It’s a late November day, the trees have finally said, enough is enough, and have shed the last of their leaves. This Sunday morning is quiet and the coffee (all 8 cups!) has kicked in, so it’s high time to get the last raking done. Most of the trees are up behind the house, so I proceed to make three big leaf piles there, before heading to the front to make two more piles of nice dry leaves. Now, out come the leaf bags and I clear the back yard quickly before heading to the front yard and as I do what do I spy but a headlight on the Allegheny River Bridge—an Allegheny Valley Railroad train is making a morning run to the Buffalo and Pittsburgh railroad. There is an advantage to living up on a ridge above the railroad, especially when the leaves fall. This may be worth a couple shots. The weather’s not great, but there’s a train to be had!
