The helpful folks at Seattle Public Utilities are making this disturbing phenomenon easier to cope with, according to Wallyhood reader Alan, with two programs.

Firstly, in the month of November they will pick up extra yard waste bags at no charge, giving you no excuse to not get out there and rake them up.

They also urge you to keep an eye on your nearby gutters where they can drift and clog the openings.  The combination of a wet-leaf plug and heavy rain is not pretty!  If you want …

He’s my neighbor Dick (Kris Kringle isn’t actually his name) who’s such an expert gardener that he confidently picks and eats wild mushrooms.  These are Birch boletes growing near the roots of a birch in the traffic circle.  He says they taste like Shiitakes.  (NOTE:  DO NOT TRY THIS YOURSELF AND POISON YOURSELF AND BLAME US).

Dick’s house is on the corner behind him and his garden fills every inch of space along the sidewalk on 46th with raspberries, tomatoes and even a grape arbor.  It’s the most productive home garden I’ve …

This set off an idle train of thought about how handsome moustaches look on some guys.  To wit:

(Okay, the last one, not so much.)  Still the vision of a Wallingford peopled with newly-moustached guys was enticing, so I contacted Spin the neighborhood barber who is promoting the event to ask what we at Wallyhood could do to make this vision a reality.

Spin stepped up to the plate and offered a free haircut…

A final blaze of light before the darkness settles in . . .

Sunflower thrown in for good measure.

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Seattle early-fall specialty.  Green tomatoes.  (Can you spot more chickens behind?).

This is exactly what my daughter would look like if she met the Medusa and turned into stone.

Free firewood.  Must have chain saw.

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