Leaf blower

I went for a jog one morning this week, once it looked like it was maybe above freezing (it was only 26° at 8:00). When I was on my way back, I noticed at least 3 landscape trucks at various neighboring houses, all with gas leaf blowers. Some expensive neighborhoods in other states have banned gas leaf blowers, but not here.

Ours is an older (1970’s) neighborhood with mature trees, which is one of the reasons we bought the house. Trees are a rare commodity in the desert!

After I got home from my jog, I was surprised how obnoxious the neighboring gas leaf blowers really were. Really loud, and I could smell the exhaust all the way in my house. One of them seemed like it was right in my own front yard, right up near the front door!

Just then, the doorbell rang. I’m usually tempted to ignore the doorbell, but given that it really sounded like a leaf blower was being operated on my front porch, I thought I better check it out. So I grabbed my phone, just in case, and put the dogs in the spare bedroom and went to the front door.

Sure enough, an old guy was operating a gas leaf blower in my front yard. I went out to talk with him and instantly regretted my failure to put shoes on. It was still very cold out there.

“Hello,” I said. “Did I hire you?” (Kind of a dumb question, it was obvious to me that I didn’t hire him, but what does one say to a leaf blower guy in one’s front yard?) I figured he had the wrong address.

He was quite nice, and in broken English explained that my neighbor, Richard, had told him to do my front yard as well as his own.

“So Richard’s paying you?”

“Yah, yah.”

“Ok, that’s nice of him.”

“Just front. Just front, he say. Big tree. Look nice, yes. I do all work here for previous owners. I do that house…and that house…front, back, all the leaves.”

Ah, so this was the local yard guy. It’s not uncommon for groups of neighbors to share a yard guy. It’s a little bit like in Mexico, where you’re almost obliged to hire the local service providers (house cleaners, etc.). You move in and they show up at your door, informing you that they service your house. Always have and always will. And you are expected to hire them.

It wasn’t clear to me if I should pay him, (I mean, not really because I didn’t hire him, right?) but maybe I should tip or something?

I took his name (Manuel) and number, so we can hire him next time. The trees aren’t nearly done dumping their leaves yet.

I brought him a piece of pie. He seemed to appreciate it. I don’t know. I don’t think I’m naturally very good at these kinds of situations.

I guess I should also reach out to our neighbor, Richard, and thank him. I haven’t seen him since we knocked on his door to talk to him about our courtyard wall project. Our neighbors are very elderly (80’s I think), and they’re never out and about.