Acorns Galore

What the mower, with vacuum attachment, left behind.

My agility yard has developed a new problem -- ACORNS GALORE.  We've always had acorns, but this year it's like hail hitting the house day and night, for weeks on end.  I've been thunked on the head a few times, too, and that hurts.  Squirrels are scurrying too and fro in massive numbers. One can hardly walk under the oak trees without skidding. The crunching nose is wierd.  Afraid they were dying, I called Naylor's Hardware and Johnny said no, it's just a nationwide bumper crop like few he's ever remembered.  In my 38 years at Old Hammond Hideaway, I don't remember anything like it.  When I Googled "bumper crop of acorns" I ran across this Boston Globe article and discovered it's a nationwide phenomenon.

Yesterday we tried mowing/vacuuming them up, but the mower just picked up leaves and left the acorns behind.  This morning I took some pix and put together my first Windows Live slide show as a way to explore the built-in software on my new computer.  After some experimenting, I found I had to upload the video to YouTube rather than directly to the blog, then embed it here to get reasonable picture quality.  It's a huge HD file.  The "for the web" file that uploaded here was horribly grainy, and this one seems to be messing up the contrast.  The acorns seem sunken in instead of protruding --not like the original photos.

A Giant Problem - Acorns Galore

Now what?  I can't very well rake 'em up, as the small acorns go through the tines.  John voluneered to push broom the entire area under the trees, about 1/3 of my agility practice yard, and bag them.  But, they are still falling like hail when the wind blows, so there's no point in all that work right now.  I'll have to confine my training to the grassy parts.

Which is doable if I move the weaves and carpets over there.  I hate to kill my good grass with the carpet, but I need it to practice my Weave Relays before the Lake Charles trial.  Unless I can improve Lucky's speed, no way she will ever get qualifying scores in Excellent B.  I also improve my MACH points with Maxie, and chances of QQ's if he doesn't pop out of the weaves.

Always something else to resolve.  Upwards and onward!