Leaf Smoke: 1940

I rode my bike and delivered the Daily Press throughout Belrose and Floral Park, NY, the fall was a sublime blend of burning leaves and coal furnaces firing up in the fifties and early sixties. I hate to think how carcinogenic those sublimely nostalgic aromas were, but, every now and then, I throw a handful of leaves into the open burner in the yard, just to feel 12 again.

Raking yard leaves into the street - and setting them afire - was a common fall exercise on Long Island. Well into the 1950s. Yes, it was a sweet smell.

That should give heart palpitations to current Easterners!

(P.S., we all survived)

I remember when everyone used to do this. The sweet smell of the burning leaves really meant fall had arrived. They say that smell is the one sense that brings back old memories the most. It's been a long time that I haven't smelled burning leaves. I would think that burning autumn leaves is pretty much illegal in most jurisdictions by now and would probably bring out the fire department. Huge and loud vacuum cleaner trucks come and suck them all from the curbs these days. I miss the smell of burning leaves.