Two famous yellow Labrador retrievers in Maine just kicked off the fall season with their viral leaf pile jump and their pure happiness is making people everywhere smile.
We often spend so much of our days worrying about tomorrow that we miss the simple blessings God puts right in front of us today. When we slow down and appreciate the changing seasons and the happy creatures God created, we find a peaceful break from all the noise in the world. In this story, we see how two sweet dogs are bringing joy to thousands of people across the nation with a simple fall routine at their home.
For a man named Jody Hartman in Freeport, Maine, fall means one very specific chore. Every autumn since 2015 he rakes the fallen leaves in his front yard into a massive pile and gives his two yellow Labs Stella and Mabel the go-ahead to dive right in. Their seasonal ritual has inspired millions of viewers online under the social media account Dog Named Stella. Even CBS reporter Steve Hartman visited them a couple of years ago and declared their leaf jumping to be everything fall should be.
The dogs officially kicked off the 2026 season this week with their very first leap into the crisp autumn leaves. It was a great jump and it will be the first of dozens more over the coming weeks. Along with running and diving headfirst, the two dogs love playing games where they hide deep inside the pile or just lie right on top of it. Sometimes they just poke their heads out from under the leaves in a funny move that Steve Hartman called the periscope of hope.
Most of us look at a yard full of leaves and just see an annoying weekend chore we want to get over with. Jody looks at his yard and sees a way to make his dogs happy.
Jody goes to great lengths to keep the leaf piles in prime condition for Stella and Mabel. He actually uses a hair dryer in the yard to dry the damp leaves and then covers the whole pile with a tent or tarp to protect that special crunchy rustle.
When someone online asked if he really has to keep sweeping all the leaves back up after every single jump Jody joked back “Labsolutely.”
Have you ever seen someone stand out in their yard with a hair dryer just to keep a pile of leaves crunchy for their dogs? That is someone who really loves his pets.
Jody says all that extra yard work is completely worth the effort because the joy of those jumps goes both ways. Earlier he noted that in a world where there is so much noise especially on social media, it just does not get much more simple and wholesome than a dog running and jumping in the leaves.
There is also a deeper lesson in watching them play. “Dogs you know unfortunately they don’t live anywhere near as long as we do” Jody said. “But they live in the moment. They don’t sit around worrying like we do. And it really reminds me of that.”
We spend so much of our lives stressed out about what is going to happen next week or next month.
Jesus tells us in Scripture not to worry about tomorrow because today has enough trouble of its own. Yet we still sit around worrying all the time. Then you look at two yellow dogs diving into a pile of dry leaves in Maine and you realize they are not thinking about yesterday or stressing about tomorrow. They are living in the moment, right where they are.
Sometimes we just need to step away from the things that stress us out and thank God for the small gifts right in front of our eyes. Don’t let the troubles of this world steal your joy or weigh down your heart. God has your back, so clear your mind and smile.
WATCH: Two Famous Yellow Labs Make Their First Giant Leaf Pile Jump of the Season
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