Monday, April 15, 2013

It Takes a Village

Rather it took a village to get my lawn mowed.

For years GG mowed and edged and made a pile of weeds look like a million bucks.

But this past week, and for more to come I'm sure, it fell to me to fire up the electric lawn mower.

And with my newfound respect for not overdoing things I waited just a little too long.

By the time I hauled the mower up the basement steps, figured how to plug into it, wrap the long cord around the porch railing and turned it on I was already overwhelmed.

Imagine my horror when I realized the little engine was no match for the tufts of steel grass.

When the mulch guard, or whatever you call that piece on the side, blew off and I was engulfed in clouds of tick grass, I gave it up and put it back in the basement.

I decided to borrow my neighbor Sheila's mower. She swallowed her bite of dinner and went off to unlock her shed. She brought over the mower, showed me how to get it started, and demonstrated the art of holding it at an angle so I could cut the tall grass down a layer at a time.

Which would have worked fine if I could keep it running, or barring that have the shoulder strength to give the cord a good pull and restart it whenever it sputtered. But my shoulder just wasn't that into it.

Sheila had to bring her father his dinner so drove off promising me she would help when she came back.

She's a single parent, primary caretaker of a very sick man and works full time. I  felt my yard didn't need to be added to her to do list.

Then I strolled across the street to Carlo's house and after banging on the door for a bit managed to rouse a man who was 4 pages from the end of his book and throw himself on his mercy.

He hadn't realized GG was gone and once he heard the story he threw on his Superman cape and flew on over to help.

It must have been difficult to get the job done what with kittens running about and me thanking him with every other breath I took.

He mowed, I raked and nobody edged.

My instructions are simple: mow it every week and it will never be this bad again.

Already I look forward to the heat of the summer when nothing grows. Well the grass stops growing, we'll always have Paris weeds.

And oh my God, it already needs to be cut again. And it hasn't even been a week.

But you already knew that didn't you?








33 comments:

  1. It's time to find a strapping young man from the neighborhood. It's worth whatever you pay him... or any lawnmower driver, any landscape company, any college kids with a lawnmower and a truck... you can even get them to edge. Seriously. Unless of course, Carlos is up for the weekly mowing. You could pay him with books.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pretty sure Carlos threw away cape when he was finished:-(

      I will try it myself but also check out cost of a company.

      Gheesh. Always something, yeah?

      Delete
  2. I've been an independent lawn mower for 17 years, with the exception of 2 when I hired a company to mow due to extensive work travel. What finally "clicked" for me was to set aside a week night to mow, don't let it take up my weekend or I will resent it. Same night, every week, unless absolutely not possible. Edge about once a month, but don't be a fanatic. I now think of it as a walk/exercise, I (almost)look forward to it.

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    Replies
    1. I love the phrase "independent lawn mower". And I will try it your way.

      More will be revealed.

      Delete
  3. I think we could tell the stories of our lives by the lawn-mowing circumstances. I have a photo of myself mowing mine at 7 months pregnant. It was a push mower. Then the electric one when I moved back into the house, divorced. Now the gardeners do it while I work.

    I agree. Find a kid. Or, if you do manage to set up a weekly ritual, I predict it will all work out well. Rituals, rituals, rituals. As Anon says above.

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  4. Yards are very much overrated. I do the same thing every year. I don't know how it happens but it seems the grass grows a foot in one day and then it's too late. Thank god for my postage stamp of a yard. One day I hope for a courtyard of pea gravel and ivy.

    Do your cats eat that grass in the basket? I bought some for mine and sat and looked me like I was an alien.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No,won't touch it. Surprised I could get Lucy to come near at it for the picture.

      She prefers to go outside, eat grass and then come in and throw it up on the rug.

      But who wouldn't?

      Delete
    2. Jane (and Steve),
      the grassless yard was my answer. At the time I was looking for a house (while living in a yardless condo) the bf told me quite honestly - "I don't mow grass." I don't like mowing grass either, so I set out to make my yard grassless - the yard is now about 40% pond, 30% flower beds and 30% pea gravel pathways. Still have to weed though...

      Delete
  5. Oh gosh, well, I'm glad you have great neighbors who could come to your rescue. The thought of doing that once a week would not appeal to me either, but it made for an entertaining blog post. :o)

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  6. Grass mowing- like life- can be tricky. Thank God for neighbors!

    ReplyDelete
  7. My sister mows her big backyard over a couple evenings rather than all at once. It's less tiring and doesn't wipe out a whole evening.

    Where one lives may make a difference, but I've been told the price of even having a teenager mow your lawn can take your breath away :(

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  8. I mowed over the cable 3 times, and then hit a rock and bent the blade, I now borrow my sisters mower everytime I mow, which means it never gets done. I am about to invest in gravel.

    And more plants.

    Any excuse.

    Much love xx

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  9. I used to pay my son's friend 25 bucks a week to mow 1/4 acre back in TX.
    When he went off to college, we did it ourselves except for the summers when he'd pick it up again.

    Then my husband passed away,and the mower moved to California.
    I bought a reel mower and argued with my grief through exercise.
    One night for the front, one for the back ( every damn week) and a battery-pack trimmer used twice a month.

    Here in OR we have gotten rid of as much lawn as possible at the front/sides. Our lawn is in the back-where the dog can enjoy it, too.

    Some of my neighbors have pygmy goats-so cute, and you'd NEVER need to mow again!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You lead by your example Susan.

      My lawn isn't big but it sure is messy.

      I love goats....wonder if Arlington County would let me keep one.

      They say no to chickens but a pygmy goat has never come up in conversation.
      xo

      Delete
  10. Outdoor maintenance is never ending! Make sure you have plenty of lemonade waiting for you when need refreshment.

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  11. I don't mow the lawn, if I had to there would be a problem I'm sure. I do keep appropriating more parcels of grass...a flower bed here, a flower bed there, who needs grass? I was told that the woman who owned the house next to mine (Not the current owner) was a master gardener and she had planted her entire back yard with wildflowers which bloomed beautifully all Summer long. She mowed once a year, in the Fall. This sounds heavenly to me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I could get with that plan. Then I'd only have to ask Carlos to mow once a year. Brilliant!

      Delete
  12. You can do this. Choosing a set day ofthe week helps, and our hot summers throw it into dormancy by July, so its not too bad. Im still on break from the shoulder work, but will pick it up soon. I somewhat enjoy it ... good thinking time. Good luck! Xoxo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the pep talk. I'll be out there tomorrow or Wednesday.

      Delete
  13. Hey, don't you have goat experience. Maybe you need a goat. No, scrap that. It will eat everything. How about a nice, fluffy sheep?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh no, not you as well! The Gardener is moaning all the time - speed-grass, clunky mowers, hidden stones, and then there's the heavy petrol-driven hedge cutters to wield overhead....

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  15. Forget the lawn. Make flower beds, gravel paths, and a stone patio with bistro chairs and table. And voila, you have a beautiful retreat and never have to mow ever again!

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  16. Well, trying once more to post; let's give it a whirl. Im with the readers who say take out a lot of the grass, expand your flower beds and walks. Do consider a stone patio & expand every year. Here in CO, we use a lot of native grasses -- grama, buffalo, etc. -- and let them grow tall.
    Lovely effect and very natural.
    Peace be with you, " no longer Peggy."

    ReplyDelete
  17. Good grief, it worked! I would also look into hiring a student and would call your local high school, or perhaps one in an economically disadvantaged area, to find one.
    Starbucks and Whole Foods, Trader Joes, etc. usually will have bulletin boards where you can (still!) post an
    actual, hard copy, physical index card. Pbwy Peggy-jane.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good idea, esp since several of my neighbors need help too.

      Thanks. xo

      Delete
  18. ONCE a week? Try must 2x a week. Don't know why, have never fertilized other than 45 years ago and first starting the lawn after building the house. The area over the septic field use to grow even faster (only area that could be considered fertilized) and even with 2x a week would have to rake the grass up. Thank heavens for a lawn tractor because the push mower takes 10-12 hours depending on the height of the grass. (It also cuts much closer.) I would kill for your yard. Well, then again, because the yard I handle is my Mother's, maybe not kill. But I do envy you. The last time I could miss a week was in '99, the year of the drought in the NE. I went 6 wks without mowing!!!! Yeah!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OMG, that's a full time job.

      I should do 2x a week but I would never have time to weed then.

      And I would shoot myself:-)

      Delete
  19. Grass, what a pain! We Brits are supposed to love and cultivate a pristine green sward, but my lawn is a disgrace. Can no longer excuse it on the dog, my dear departed, who left pee craters. Now I have a moss and weed lawn with a little bit of grass - doesn't look too bad without my specs on! Garden machinery can be mean-spirited stuff.

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  20. Shelley is right - a strapping young man, a student, someone to do it for you. Even if the story was hugely entertaining, I don't think you can go through that every week. And this advice comes from the girl whose Dad with a ride on mower takes care of her lawn. Truly - if it were possible, I would let you borrow him! Amanda x

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  22. Such a great story! I love the part where Carlos stops what he's doing and throws on his superman cape. My yard is quite a mess. Amazing what happens in just one week this time of year.

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