Detail is a funny thing, not enough and you can't
        feel like you're there, too much and there's
        no reason to transport yourself there, since
        everything is handed to you.

Making the reader think is a very good thing, but you can't make them
work for everything or he/she will quit; however, I agree with you
wholeheartedly on your point.

        That much detail can also obfuscate the subject
        of the paragraph. Was it about leaves? the rake?
        The brown hair? The dark eyes? All of those things
        belong in the story, but I prefer to spread them
        out a bit, mention the dark hair because he's
        pushing it out of his eyes, Mention the eyes
        because she's looking at them.

The paragraph's "subject" is the opening of the story, what's happening,
who's there and various other things.  It might be better broken up into
several paragraphs.

        Another trick is to spread the description amongst
        a set of paragraphs or sentances, so that they
        interlock with each other.

Bingo.  But the call was for one paragraph, at least the way I read it.
Just my interpretation, mind you ^_^

I thought I would add that what we often repeat at our writer's meetings is
this:  strive for one or two crisp, sharp details.  The reader will fill in
the rest.  It's not necessary to describe everything... in fact, it can
become difficult to read if you do... but if you can get one or two details
implanted in the reader's head, that will instantly conjur up other images
that they associate with those details, and will help the reader paint a
picture in their mind of the scene you're describing.

The trick is to pick the right details, and find a way of describing them
that makes them jump out at the reader.

And, of course, if more details are needed... spread them out, as Joseph
said.

Not that I usually manage to do this... knowing and doing are two different
things!

Miko!

"When you really need them the most," he said, "million-to-once chances
always crop up.  Well-known fact."  --Seargent Colon, "Guards, Guards!"
Terry Pratchett

Nausicaa@sprynet.com   Belldandy@angelic.com
Anime rpg at http://come.to/akane/
Fan Fiction at http://www.fortunecity.com/tatooine/pratchett/199/