There is something about fall that compels us to rearrange furniture inside the house and tidy up outside. Like squirrels lining our nests.

We humans are also drawn to leaves. We rake them, blow them, frown at them and then rake them again.

In my youth, we burned them, which is bad for our lungs and the air. We also piled them up time after time so that we could jump in them, bury each other under them and scare the bejeezus out of Dad when he got home from work.

I was reminded of that during last Sunday’s five-hour knee torture cleanup at Dirt Cottage when the kids next door started sweeping leaves from their yard, driveway and sidewalks using brooms. The tiniest boy – the one who is old enough to wave but can’t quite say my name – pushed about 27 leaves together and then jumped on them in glee. His grin was so big you might think his face was going to split in half.

Leaf collection begins

Oct. 24 in Fort Wayne, starting with the north side. It is scheduled to start in the central portion of the city on Oct. 31 and then move to the south side starting Nov. 7.

Being a proud south-sider with lots of oaks, that leaves an awful lot of leaves to corral for a very long time. It’s going to seem even longer for my neighbors with leaf blowers who already have waist-high piles.

What should you do until the trucks roll into your neighborhood?

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management sent out a few good ideas last week:

•Mulch leaves and small twigs by chopping them up with a lawnmower. This returns nutrients to the soil and makes the piles you have much smaller. Tips: Cover piles with a tarp to keep the mess from blowing around after all of that hard work. Spread this mixture under trees and shrubs, and you’ll never have to get the city to haul them away.

•Compost grass clippings, leaves, branches and weeds by piling them in a container with ample drainage or on the ground. They will break down naturally into a nutrient-rich soil amendment. Tips: Your neighborhood association might have rules restricting how you mulch, so check first. I use those garden leftovers to start new beds. If you went into the backyard at Dirt Cottage, you’d see a kidney-shaped area of rabbit fencing with leaves piled in the center. In the spring, the fencing will be gone and the area will be ready for edging and planting.

•If you don’t have space or the inclination to compost leaves yourself, your community might pick them up. Tip: In Fort Wayne, you can put leaves into biodegradable bags and call 311 or 427-8311 for collection within two business days.

Do not rake or blow your leaves into the street. It is dangerous for little kids when drivers are dodging piles, and many of those leaves will wash into storm drains when we have rain.

Leaves in Fort Wayne should be in the park strip – the area between the sidewalk and the street – when collection begins in your area.

If you want to send in a photo of your kids playing in piles, the email address is below. They should be in the JPEG format and attached to the email. We’ll need to know your name, the names of those in the photo and what community you call home.