Sweeper

I grew up with oaks trees in our yard. I loved to rake the leaves into piles and play in them. We would line them up into a floor plan and pretend it was a house, complete with bedrooms, living rooms and a kitchen where we would burn leaves using a magnify glass.
(Being a daughter of a firefighter I sure liked to play with fire as I sit here with a fire in the fireplace).

I don't remember the acorns. I'm pretty sure there was some, but I just don't remember them being a problem.
Living out here with 8 oak tress the acorns are everywhere. Lots of acorns. Mike would always stay on top of them by raking regularly. Though raking is a good exercise - not for people with a bad back.

Then I remembered the yellow sweeper that Dad would walk around the backyard - and if we were lucky we could help push. Dummy me thought it was to pick up all the leaves. Now I'm thinking it was for the acorns too.
Mike and I go over to the Farm n Fleet store to check their sweepers. We run into my cousin Bob who offered his sweeper to us to try before we spend the money on one.
Well as soon as Mike hooked it to my tractor and I made a few passes in the yard I told him to "Go Get Me One!"
Which he did.

My new sweeper

 This thing is crazy good. It not only picks up acorns but all the little sticks too. I sweep the yard before I mow so I can keep the grass clippings in the lawn. This takes me obviously twice as long to do the yard work, but so worth it.

A fraction of the acorns

I can't wait to see how this thing does when the leaves finally fall.