The tiny plot of rocky, barren land that surrounds my house has a tendency to collect more than it creates.  The few trees that reside on the edges of my property manage to dump billions of leaves and acorns on every square inch of lawn.  My leaf blower works great ... for leaves.  But small, rock-hard, aerodynamic seed containers are no match for propelled air.  The fall of 2007 was like trying to save the Titanic with a spoon; those damned acorns accumulated faster than I could remove them.  My lowest point came sometime in the winter, when I assumed the waterfall of acorns had stopped for the season, and I attempted to suck them off the semi-frozen ground with a shop vac (though it sort of worked). 

This year, the harvest seems to have dried up.  And it's not just my yard.  Botanists and naturalists are a bit worried that it could be something serious, but they're worried less about the health of oak trees and more about the health of small animals that feed on the wretched fruit.  Thankfully (I guess) the scourge seems not to be affecting all areas of the country.  My parents live in rural Virginia, and they say their oak trees are producing quite a bounty. #nature