Wonder why the leaves are not turning the bright fall colors that we’ve come to expect this time of year? It seems like the leaves are going straight from green to brown. The yard is already full of large brown oak leaves and smaller brown hickory leaves. I don’t mind raking these leaves in an afternoon, but when the burr balls start to fall from the hickory trees, I will be gathering them up with a vengeance. The burr balls are a nuisance and cause twisted ankles as well as puncturing the soft pads of my dog’s feet.