I'm worried who's going to serve as an inspiration for you when I get too old. I'm in my 69th year now and I don't see any of you stepping up to take my mantle. And I'm slowing down. In years past, by this date, I would have brought home over a hundred bags of leaves and grass clippings, dozens and dozens of pumpkins, and at least two truckloads of seaweed. This year I have only gathered 36 bags of leaves and grass clippings, only about 7 pumpkins, no seaweed, and I've only built 2 1/2 compost piles as compared to the usual 6 I enter winter with.

I admit it, I'm really worried. No offense, of course, but I'm starting to think of you as a bunch of slackers. For instance, why are you all sitting here reading this post when you could be out gathering your compost feedstock? By the time you read this, I'll be well on my way to the local leaf dump.

I'm not talking to the Californians among us who are still sleeping. I'm talking to you in Virginia, New Jersey, Connecticut, even you Massachusetters! What's wrong? Have you just given up? Are you really content to purchase your "compost" and your obligatory wood chip mulches? How do you respond when your friends and family ask how your compost pile is going? Do you lie?

I even take a look at the forum title sometimes to make sure it still includes the words compost and mulch.

Sometimes I feel all alone here.