Leaves falling: Random 5 Friday

Happy November, everyone! I’m starting the month by joining Nancy of A Rural Journal for another week of Random 5 Friday.

One

The leaves seemed to have changed overnight in Central Virginia. Where there was still so much green last week, golds and reds color the trees and the ground underneath. It finally looks like fall around here.

A tree in our neighbor's yard.

The view down our driveway.

The trees across the street from our house.

Two

Larry did the first leaf work this week, blowing the leaves to the curb for pickup by the town. It was the first of many such chores. We have a large yard and many trees, so we have many leaves in the fall. They would smother the grass if we left them.

Trees waiting for pickup.

Three

This week I read about a study that suggests there are health benefits from keeping busy with lawn mowing, home projects, housework and the like.

Four

I also read about a study that suggests being sedentary too much can be harmful to your health. It got me thinking.

I tend to sit a lot on the job. I also sit for too long at one time. When I get up, I can barely walk at first because of stiffness in my legs and back.

So this week I experimented with setting the timer on my iPhone to remind me to get up and walk around every 45 minutes or so.

I find that I get so caught up in what I’m doing—writing, researching, talking on the phone—that I forget to get up. So here’s hoping a little electronic reminder will help.

Five

The sound I’ve chosen for the timer to go off is a Zen-like, soothing sound. My ringtone is similar. Larry’s ringtone? He picked one he said he could easily hear: the opening bars of “Bad to the Bone.”