Leaves

The week before last we worked a little every day raking up the leaves for the city to pick up. The pick up was supposed to start on Nov 16, but it started raining, so I guess now they are waiting for them to dry out. Today I spent some time putting them back in nice piles, and moved some Camrys close by for scale. Without the rain the piles would have been significantly bigger. I'm sorry that we have no grandchildren here to jump in the piles. At our last visit to the GR's, they reminded me that the purpose of raking leaves into piles was definitely NOT so they could be disposed of!

It seems like every year there are more leaves--and there should be. I'm sure the two big oaks have about doubled in height since we moved here 25 years ago. Assuming the number of leaves on a tree is proportional to the volume of its canopy suggests the number of leaves would increase 8-fold. I could believe that. All of this reminds me of a children's story that was one of my favorites (when everyone was much younger) called "Mr. Tamarin's Trees". It is unfortunately out of print.

In other news, we inherited a "Mr. Ugly" plant from M&M before they left for Beirut. I think it is remarkable the way it flowered. The bloom actually grew from the edge of one of the leaves...

...as this detail will show.

The other shoe

Press release today, 11:01 AM Central time:


"As part of the consolidation of research sites, Pfizer will significantly reduce R&D activities at some of its sites. The company will move a number of functions from Collegeville, Pa.; Pearl River, N.Y.; and St. Louis to other locations and will discontinue R&D operations in Princeton, N.J.; Chazy, Rouses Point and Plattsburgh, N.Y.; Sanford and Research Triangle Park, N.C.; and Gosport, Slough/Taplow, U.K. In addition, Pfizer will consolidate R&D functions from its New London, Conn., site to its nearby research facility in Groton, Conn."

My function is one of those that will be moving from St. Louis to other locations.

In other news, but certainly not unrelated, Monsanto is buying the St. Louis Pfizer facillity.


Life goes on.