Leaves and apples from nearby trees had fallen into Mrs C's back yard, and needed to be cleared up. On a crisp, sunny and windy Christmas Eve, I swept up as many leaves as I could find. At times this felt like a Sisyphean task - as soon as I had made a pile, a gust would distribute some of them across the garden once more. But persistence won and, within an hour, both front and back yards were clear, leaving the house looking more tidy for Christmas.