Time to Mow Again
Mowing the lawn is an interesting activity. It allows you time to revise your lawn mowing strategy and to think about random thoughts.
Let’s talk about lawn mowing strategies. The most common strategy is neat and tidy rows left-to-right. Second, is the progressively smaller-square technique. Third, the always tasteful elongated diagonal rows. Fourth, is the complex checker board effect. Last, there is the vacuuming strategy, which is good for carpet, but useless for mowing (i.e. you don’t mow back and forth over the same spot more than once) like you might while vacuuming.
My lawn mowing experiences are related to my Dad and growing up on 12th & Rucker. In 1964 I remember when Dad and Grandpa came home with the spanking brand new gas-powered-self-propelled Penncraft from JC Penny on Colby that cost $69.00. That was a lot of money back then. The Penncraft was a reel mower with a grass catcher. She was beautiful… shinny white engine, green deck and red knobs. My brother and I were mesmerized by her beauty. We would not be allowed to operate the Penncraft until we were much older. Dad was very proud of his new mower and how much easier it was to maintain the yard with the new gas-powered mower vs. the old iron wheeled push mower.
I don’t remember any problems starting the Penncraft and it kept going for many years. Around 1973 Dad purchased a Snapper, like everyone else on the block. I have no thoughts whatsoever on the Snapper. Then in 1980 came the fancy pants, posh, expensive California Trimmer. Now, this is not an easy machine to operate. There are many rules to follow. Such as: you must make sure there are no rocks, gravel or sticks in the lawn because it does not pick-up leaves or vacuum any debris. Essentially, you should rake the grass before mowing it. When you want to turn you must lift levers, drop counter-weights and change gears. The California Trimmer never impressed me. It is an extremely large and heavy piece of equipment that has been residing under my garage stairs for several years. I believe many brown recluse spiders have made it their home. Let’s not disturb them.
Over the last 4 years I have bought several used mowers that have ended up costing me over $300.00 for parts and repair. By April 4th the lawn needed to be mowed. So, it was time to purchase a new lawnmower. I went to Lowe’s first, but they did not have anything that struck my fancy. I ended up at Costco where I bought the smaller Honda mower, not the fancy-self-propelled one with the big wheels. After I took it out of the box and tighened up a few screws, the engine started on the first pull. I just stared at it in amazement – it was so quiet and easy to start. Now, if I play my cards right… my Dad will want to try out the new lawn mower every week for the remainder of the season. I’ll let you know how it goes.
