Biff Manly does not consider himself a philosopher, but often he finds himself pondering the mysteries of life. Mysteries like why his wife thinks he is a mind reader, why he always finds what he’s looking for in the last place he looks, and why his leaf blower has a low setting.

Manly was clearing the leaves from his yard when we met him. Using the high setting on the blower, he blew the leaves across his front lawn and then walked to the other side, and blew them all back.

“It takes a few rounds to make a pile,” Manly said as he continued to blow the leaves around and around, and then paused to continue the interview.

“I never use that low setting, and it made me wonder why it’s even there?” Manly said. “My current theory is that the manufacturer added it just so they could charge more for the blower.”

While we were speaking, a neighbor came over with a different theory.

“Maybe it’s not as loud on low,” the neighbor said.

Manly considered the theory, but rejected it.

“That makes no sense,” Manly said. “I wear industrial quality ear muffs.”

Putting his ear muffs back on, Manly cranked up the blower and continued trying to make a pile of leaves with a hurricane machine. Then he spotted a wet leaf stuck to the sidewalk, aimed it at the leaf, and gave it full power for thirty seconds until the leaf finally blew away.

While Manly battled his leaves, his next project was waiting in the driveway; getting his snow blower ready in case it snows.