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Looking back on my childhood, leaves are my favorite memory of fall.

I don’t remember the raking as being fun, but I did help my dad when I had to.

The fun would begin when my brothers and I would gather the smaller piles into one huge pile and jump into it. We would even jump off a swing to land on top of the pile.

Leaves on the ground now are more for looking at and less for play. When the time comes to rake them out of my yard, I can’t rake them into a huge pile on the curb anymore.

I live in Roanoke,  where residents must place them into plastic or biodegradable paper bags. The bagged leaves will be picked up by the city and later be turned into compost.

The best alternative, though, is to use a special mulching blade for your mower so the leaves are chopped up small enough to be used as fertilizer for your grass.

-- Eric Brady | The Roanoke Times

Don't be surprised to see a car carrying skis or a snowboard, even when it's warm. It may be headed to Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre  in Lynchburg.

The year-round snowboarding, skiing and tubing park was built by Liberty University for use by its students and the public as part of Ultimate LU, a program to make outdoor recreational opportunities more accessible for students and funded by university benefactors.

"It's pretty good to come here during the week and shred a little bit," said Aaron Derr, a Liberty University student. "It's a little weird to get used to at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty fun."

Snowflex is a synthetic material designed to simulate snow, including layers of cushioning underneath, making it softer than groomed snow.

This is the first slope in the United States to use the technology. Users of the slope must wear long-sleeved shirts and pants for protection, preferably water-resistant since the surface is misted to keep  it conditioned for use.

Evan Graybill, 14, of Lynchburg summed it up: "It's the summer, and you can ski anytime. It's really fun, and you don't have to go far from home just to ski."

Online: www.liberty.edu/snowflex