View Full Version : People Who Mow Too Much..
I live in Zurra, the "We Mow State". It even says so on the license plates, but apparently the illiterate, dyslexic inmates at the pen misspelled the slogan. Anyway, what you have are these guys who are um, mow-o-holics. While their wife stays inside and tidies up, he spends waaaay waaaaay more time and effort on riding around on the riding mower. As soon as they finish mowing, it's time to start over. Even if the grass only grew 1/2 inch! See? Mow and Mow and Mow Some Mo'. One case I know is a guy in his late 50's who mows obsessively ostensibly to please his wife, though he LOVES mowing, anyway. This started after she got some part-time work doing housecleaning in those enormous "Dream Homes" that those working couples buy out in upscale subdivisions built in former cow pastures. Anyway, they then made the transition to middle-class suburbanite, and bought a fancy riding mower. He sets the blade so low, to cut the grass so short, that the blade contacts the ground going over high spots, scraping bare spots and causing clouds of dust and lots of noise. He has told me: "just got that mower back from the shop again; it keeps screwing up!" Well, yeah--the blades and drives in the deck are being damaged with your scorched-earth policy. Try setting your blade height up higher-much higher. But, that logic is lost on the guy. Also, part of the mow-syndrome is on account of being what I call being a Car Jock. They love to drive, just for something to "do", and operating machinery such as a mower classifies as such. It's the same with mota-homes(I call them that) and Harley Davidsons, giant SUVS and stuff. Anyway, mowing too much--it's weird behavior. I have a number of case histories I can offer, but I'll let you kids give us some prime examples of Mowing Zealotry.
I guess you would call me a mowing zealot since I ensure that my lawn is always neatly trimmed. I use a push mower because my lawn, at just under 3/4 acre, provides just the right amount of exercise for this old body.
I guess I'm a car jock too, what with having a motor home and a motorcycle, although I must admit I'm not enough of a car jock to pattern my online persona on an old Packard or spend any portion of my time in junkyards pulling parts. Different strokes I guess.
Yah--3/4 acre with a push mower is a lot, Al. Next time you are at home depot or Lowes, check out the zero-turn mowers. That way, Those People will not think you are 'different' on account of push-mowing your lot. Because, that's another thing: Mowing excessively, and social conformity are connected. Another case I know of is a dairy products delivery driver. A teamster, who makes a ridiculously high income, for what it is--started at age 18, been there 35 years. He can't quit--no one else would pay him anywhere near the same. Anyway, He built a dream home on a three acre lot, so he could mow & mow & mow to his hearts' content. After his divorce, in order to make additional income, he started a----you guessed it--a lawn-mowing service, for awhile. Then, he got married again to a VERY tidy church lady, and built another new dream-home-in-the-country; this time, on a 5-acrea lot. He's got a Gravely Zero turn--it's Proffessional-Grade. His adult daughter, a Nurse, bought a small home near the hospital. Dad, would make the 60-mile round-trip in his monster pickup, pulling the Gravely behind on a trailer, to mow her yard. Pretty much a mow-o-holic. To clarify: I am NOT a car jock on account of my Packard, which by the way is a very rare car. Sorry, but your defense is wrong. First of all, I have expended far more time working on it, than I have actually driving it. It mainly just sits there, waiting for me to work on it. Taking it out for a drive can be a source of annoyance, because of the unsolicited input I get from people. See? Car Jocking is a wholly different deal, though a case can be made that there is some overlap. Car Jocking is primarily driving or operating machinery, just for the satisfaction of doing so. No automotive technical skills are required. Only a sincere desire to get out and DRIVE! See? The guy who mows too much(case #1 in my prior post) is not affluent. But, they somehow manage to have two late-model cars that together cost more than their home. They "trade"(get screwed) every 2-3 years. They really don't go anywhere; never away from home overnight. But, they each manage to drive 15-18k miles each year! Just around town! OTOH, I'm like: 8,000 miles/yr. See? Then they have an ATV, that they run up and down the block and around their backyard in. Their off spring each had 2-3 cars, by the time they were 18. When one comes home, the other one goes out. All day long. Car jock in; car jock out. See, I make up a mental list of stops, in order to justify a trip out. Apparently they don't. They love to drive; they should deliver Pizzas. BTW, I call a Female Car Jock a "Hot Shoe". Typically, when they arrive home, Hot Shoes come in for a landing, then give it one last hard shot of gas going up the driveway. Hot shoes run up to stop signs and signals, full speed, like Colonel Stapp on his rocket sled, then hit the brakes at the 10-foot mark. I think carmakers need to install those NASCAR head restraints and full harnesses on all cars delivered to Hot Shoes, on account of the deceleration g-forces encountered when they stop. Hope that helps you some.
Packy,
when I first moved to AZ it was not uncommon for homeowners in retiree developments to make a lawn ornament of their old push mowers - pretty funny!
Packy,
when I first moved to AZ it was not uncommon for homeowners in retiree developments to make a lawn ornament of their old push mowers - pretty funny!Yah, that is funny. They prolly felt like their mower was something they could not do without. Mowing Fanatics quite frequently have lawn ornaments, but it has been kind of been surpassed by their need for landscaping gimmicks--raised beds, with the railroad ties, the bark mulch, the creek gravel & the plastic "ponds" set into it. Oh, yeah--landscaping with exterior lighting; the solar-powered light stakes. You just know you are an old fogey, when you get caught up[ in that stuff.
We have a neighbor who is definitely a mow-a-holic. The guy has scoliosis but that doesn't stop him from fanatically trimming this velvet green lawn twice a week and then bagging it up and neatly lining those plastic bags, with nice organic clippings inside, on the street for the landfill. He's done this consistently since we moved here 30 years ago, and I'm sure he's 70+ now but still at it. I guess it's good exercise for him. But DH invited him to his 60th birthday party and then proceeded to publicly "roast" his lawn habits mercilessly, but lovingly. Our neighbor took it well--it was all in fun. Next day he mowed his lawn.
I'm a life long Zurri girl (raised in the north part of the state but been here in the sw corner for 26 years).
I have a neighbor who mows dirt faithfully every week. I don't understand why she won't let the grass grow enough to be grass but by early June she has it killed off yet continues to mow. Its just a big cloud of dirt surrounding her riding mower.
I've seen my neighbor mow his grass when there was still snow on half of it. He starts watering it in March (this is New England, so we're talking freezing temperatures at night until May) so that it will grow faster, so he can mow it more often. Mowing is at least 2x/week, sometimes 3. I don't get it.
goldensmom
4-30-15, 8:32pm
I mow a lot, not too much, just the right amount and I wait until the snow is gone. I mowed Sunday and again Tuesday and it looks nice but I usually mow every 4 days throughout the summer. I mow a little over 5 acres. It's fun now but will be not so much fun in August and really not so much fun in October.
we had a neighbor with a schedule of which direction to mow each time so that it wouldn't get lines in the grass and then he topped it off by trimming the edges with scissors. it was intimidating.
Well, most mow-o-holics would tell you something like this: "Mowing is a whole lot better than letting RODENTS take over, everywhere!". Very propagandistic rhetoric. But, one mow-o-holic I know has umpteen bunnies hopping around, doing what bunnies do, late at night, all over his freshly-mowed estate. One evening, I counted 7, and I wasn't trying hard. But, a fanatic would rebut my statement of fact by contending that if they didn't mow all day, every day, there would be 1000's of bunnies out there. Fanatic. Way they are. Can't change 'em. I'm just trying to think: What did people do, before they had all this Lawn Care Apparatus?
My dad was the mow king. He knew the exact direction to go to make his lawn perfect. It was a whole weekend process. He mowed, raked, edged, fertilized, watered, etc. He lived for doing this. He loved that lawn. :)
I am sandwiched between two elderly neighbors who are both obsessed with their lawn upkeep. Their lawn boys come religiously every week. One spends I kid you not five hours mowing and trimming the lawn. He goes horizontally, vertically and then diagonally back and forth several times until every blade is perfectly even. Then he edges and blows for another hour or two. The noise drives us nuts. I like to grow a few "weeds" right along the fenceline just to unsettle the perfection.
umpteen bunnies hopping around
And that reminds me... one of my elderly neighbors has a streetlight in his backyard. At night, long after he goes to bed, his sterile mowed lawn comes alive with possums, rats, raccoons and other critters scarfing up the birdseed he throws out...and he doesn't even know. It looks like a circus.
Okay--I can relate to what you kids are saying. Twenty-one years ago, Church Guy moved into the hood. His place is on 2 acres of fescue. He was a trucker, that drove the same route, back and forth every day. Up and down and back and forth. All day. Home on weekends. But it quickly became apparent that his avocation in life was mowing. That, and church attendance. No flowers, no shrubs, no landscaping, no pets, none of that. Just mow, and church and drive. The previous owner had a small riding mower & cut the grass around the house, on the front half of the lot. Then, annually, had some guy with a tractor "brush hog" the rest. That was it. But Churchie, he was all no-holds-barred on waging war on vegetation. He loves to get out there and mow, all day. Mow, and mow, and mow some mo'. They had a perfectly good car they bought from a neighbor, and drove 5 years. Then, they "traded" it(got screwed) under the cash-for-clunkers program on another, similar vehicle, brand new. Okay--now they can get out and DRIVE. They hit the road on every holiday, and DRIVE!! Get out there, and get those miles in! It must give them immense satisfaction to be such good, church-going, lawn-mowing cash-for-clunker consumers. For awhile, in the last couple years, Churchie was pretty sick. He couldn't DRIVE, he couldn't mow and mow and mow and mow some mo'. He couldn't even go to church, and praise jesus. I visited him, to see how he was doing. He lamented that he really missed getting out there and mowing. Well, guess what? Churchie pulled through, and he's back to mowing, even mo' than befo'. Just this week---ironic because I was discussing this--he acquired one o' them "Zero turn" mowers like the pro's use! That way, he can get out there, all day, every day, day-in and day-out, and mow and mow and mow and mow like a pro. Then, go to church, come home, start all over again. Then, get out there on the super-slab and get his miles in, go see his daughter on the coast. Rack up some miles behind the wheel, just for something to do. How do you like that? Hope that helps you some. Thankk Mee.
we had a neighbor with a schedule of which direction to mow each time so that it wouldn't get lines in the grass and then he topped it off by trimming the edges with scissors. it was intimidating.
Ha! Some friends of mine lived next door to this cantankerous guy much like your neighbor. He used to grouse at them in the evening when they were out walking their Weimeraner. "Keep that!#$%#@ dog off my lawn!" Like they ever did. It was constant abuse.
So. One year all their other neighbors and friends were delighted with their Christmas card: A photo of their Weimeraner sitting at the old guy's patio set with a Santa hat on his head! They'd waited til he was gone one day, obviously, and done the deed! It was great!
Okay, the car-jocking mow-0-holic arrived back from his monotonous day job, where he stands there all day, operating loud machinery. Firt thing was, go out, and Mow. Set the blade so low, it sounds like it will blow. Clouds o' dust, everywhere. The grass is no more than 5"in some places; we're not talking about a golf course, it is old pastureland. After he finishes mowing out back, it's time for some car jocking. Back after awhile--then some "good Samaritan mowing" on land down the street, across the street, that is part of the road right-of way. But, it's prolly a 1/2 acre, total. Then, the front yard of a vacant house, blade set low, clunk, clunk, clouds of dust. Noone asked him to do any of this. Just a busybody. He told me that he broke a window in a patio door in his own backyard, due to a rock thrown by the blade. I'm thinking: what's he going to do if his mower throws a rock through the picture window of that vacant house? People who mow obsessively and excessively for something to "do" are stoopud and irritating.
Packy, I thought about you yesterday as I was out mowing too much. Unfortunately, I didn't have time afterward for any car jocking, maybe next time.
http://lefttoright.net/images/yard1.jpg
http://lefttoright.net/images/yard2.jpg
Well, that is okay for Iohiowadaho, but if I may suggest a few upgrades to bring you up to Zurra standards: Railroad ties stacked to make raised beds; creek gravel; bark mulch; oriental-species plants; in-ground sprinkler system; outdoor lighting and a fountain. Plus-an upgrade to one o' them Professional-grade Gravely Zero Turn Mowers. There is more, but that should keep you busy for awhile.
Something else, Big Al; Just one observation: there seems to be a variation in the color of your grass. I'm just thinking maybe you have a number of varieties, planted at various times, that have differing growing cycles. See, if you want perfection,( and I'm not saying this to seem like a lawn-care fanatic), what you need to do is start completely over, have a contractor "scrape" the topsoil from your lot, refill it with screened soil, and replant it with just the variety of lawn grass that is ideally suited to your climate/ soil conditions. OR:Maybe, just maybe, if your credit is good, you can refinance a total resod job. While they are doing that, you can have the sprinkler system installed. Then, hire a pro to maintain it. That way, property values will stay high, in your 'hood. Hope that helps you some. Thannk mee.
Something else, Big Al; Just one observation: there seems to be a variation in the color of your grass.
That's very observant of you Pacman. Several years ago I had to have the water line replaced and after re-seeding the filled in trench, a slight color variation resulted. Now, it's only noticeable in the correct light, but that's OK, I'm good with it.
I'm enjoying this thread because loud, droning gas mowers are the bane of my existence in the summer. The yards around here are vast, and the neighbors schedule their mowing so that it goes on pretty much constantly from May to October, punctuated by blowers, chainsaws, jack hammers, and whatever other noxious power tools are available. Sometimes I long for a soundproof high rise.
I really started this thread about people who just like operating loud machinery in their spare time, and mowing apparently fills that need. It's not so much about being a tidy neatnik, with the meticulous lawn-care thing going on. See, that is a topic for another thread. It's about the people who have some "career", doing the same repetitious routine, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, decade after decade, operating loud machinery. Then, they come home after a hard day at the Hoe Factory, go out and mow and mow and mow and mow. Granted, a benefit is appearing tidy and efficient. To them, it is also self-actualization. It is the Drug. They can't get enough of it. Almost as fulfilling as having umpteen grandkids. Grandkid Grandiosity is another topic for a thread. Hope you kids stick around to see it.
Grandkid Grandiosity is another topic for a thread. Hope you kids stick around to see it.
Great!! I'm amazed at my ability to hit all your interest points without even trying. Motorcycle, Motorhome, Mower and now Grandkids (I have two), although I must admit, I'm not a fan of pizza.
Well, see: I have 4 chainsaws, that many push mowers, several riders that I don't use, and a weed-wacker. I can't stand the damn things. They are a necessary evil. No joy, whatever, in using them. I really have more important things to do. The only thing I get satisfaction from is problem-solving. Not Einstein problems, but REAL issues. I try to avoid non-problems. That is not to say that I enjoy board games or figuring out how to use electronic devices or rubic's cubes, either. It has to be practical. Otherwise, I believe it is a waste--much like reading novels or watching TeeVee or Chick Flicks. See? Hope that helps you some. Thankk Mee.
That is not to say that I enjoy board games or figuring out how to use electronic devices or rubic's cubes, either. It has to be practical. Otherwise, I believe it is a waste--much like reading novels or watching TeeVee or Chick Flicks. See? Hope that helps you some. Thankk Mee.You know, back in the day I was one of the few people I knew who could correctly solve the Rubik's Cube, it was just a matter of memorization actually. Everybody had one and I was pretty popular for a while with those who wanted their's put back to it's original state. I also love electronic devices and novels of all types, sci-fi/adventure/thriller/fantasy/satire, even trashy novels. Last night I finished the 9th book in The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. After I've completed the remaining several titles I'm gonna start on the Discworld series by Sir Terry Pratchett, even though I only have the first 38 titles in that series of 40 or so, but it should get me through the summer. Oh, and get this, I actually read novels on an electronic device. Whatcha think of that?
What could you possibly do to entertain yourself without puzzles, electronic devices, books, motorcycles, road trips or pizza?
Okay--I can relate to what you kids are saying. Twenty-one years ago, Church Guy moved into the hood. His place is on 2 acres of fescue. He was a trucker, that drove the same route, back and forth every day. Up and down and back and forth. All day. Home on weekends. But it quickly became apparent that his avocation in life was mowing. That, and church attendance. No flowers, no shrubs, no landscaping, no pets, none of that. Just mow, and church and drive. The previous owner had a small riding mower & cut the grass around the house, on the front half of the lot. Then, annually, had some guy with a tractor "brush hog" the rest. That was it. But Churchie, he was all no-holds-barred on waging war on vegetation. He loves to get out there and mow, all day. Mow, and mow, and mow some mo'. They had a perfectly good car they bought from a neighbor, and drove 5 years. Then, they "traded" it(got screwed) under the cash-for-clunkers program on another, similar vehicle, brand new. Okay--now they can get out and DRIVE. They hit the road on every holiday, and DRIVE!! Get out there, and get those miles in! It must give them immense satisfaction to be such good, church-going, lawn-mowing cash-for-clunker consumers. For awhile, in the last couple years, Churchie was pretty sick. He couldn't DRIVE, he couldn't mow and mow and mow and mow some mo'. He couldn't even go to church, and praise jesus. I visited him, to see how he was doing. He lamented that he really missed getting out there and mowing. Well, guess what? Churchie pulled through, and he's back to mowing, even mo' than befo'. Just this week---ironic because I was discussing this--he acquired one o' them "Zero turn" mowers like the pro's use! That way, he can get out there, all day, every day, day-in and day-out, and mow and mow and mow and mow like a pro. Then, go to church, come home, start all over again. Then, get out there on the super-slab and get his miles in, go see his daughter on the coast. Rack up some miles behind the wheel, just for something to do. How do you like that? Hope that helps you some. Thankk Mee.
Other than the visiting of the daughter on the coast, the above would indicate a type of OCD behavior....
Thankk Mee ;)
iris lilies
5-6-15, 6:45pm
Other than the visiting of the daughter on the coast, the above would indicate a type of OCD behavior....
Thankk Mee ;)is the ocd person Mr. Churchie or the observer of Mr Churchie's habits?
is the ocd person Mr. Churchie or the observer of Mr Churchie's habits?
I was thinking Mr. Churchie was OCD, but now that you mention it.... Lol
is the ocd person Mr. Churchie or the observer of Mr Churchie's habits? I/L--Did you ever think of axing if you could be a guest panelist on "The View"? You would be a good fit, there. Just Curious. But seriously--I HAVE plants that bloom every year, year after year. That is fine with mee, and I try not to spray them or mow them down. That said, I DO NOT consider them to be a hobby, or drive and drive and drive and drive and drive around to Flower shows to discuss them for something to DO. They are just flowers! Only an OCD-afflicted person would do that. Hope that answers your quesssssion. Thankk Mee.
Many novels are literature, and literature can be one of life's greatest delights. Others are sheer entertainment, and there's nothing wrong with that either!
I combine OCDism with a dislike of loud power tools. I love the contemplative practice of plucking last fall's leaves from my perennial beds, by hand, one by one. It gives me a good chance to get up close and personal with my plants as they emerge for another season. I imagine my neighbors think I'm crazy, and they could very well be right. :)
My belief is that we are at our most human when we are operating power tools, especially with small engines attached (although pneumatic drills and wrenches come a close second). The sound they make is the music of man defying his limitations. I love the symphony of snowblowers up and down the block literally chewing up and spitting out nature's malice. I look forward pushing my mower over my little domain, imposing order and beauty in my wake. I love belt sanders and hedge trimmers and radial saws, and I don't care who knows it.
My hubby loves to mow and mow and mow some mo'.... Is there a support group for that? ;)
And that reminds me... one of my elderly neighbors has a streetlight in his backyard. At night, long after he goes to bed, his sterile mowed lawn comes alive with possums, rats, raccoons and other critters scarfing up the birdseed he throws out...and he doesn't even know. It looks like a circus.
Pinkytoe, the image you describe here reminds me of an old animated Disney film... :)
Early this morning, it rained quite a bit. Then, the sun came out and it's been hot n' steamy, just like a jungle in the tropic o' Capricorn. I betcha the vegetation has encroached by at least 1/2-3/4 of an inch, yet I don't see either of the mower guys out mowing. Either they have had a major medical episode, or else a total breakdown of their morals. A failure, to shoulder their manly responsibilities. I think I will get out there and run the mower and the chainsaw, for awhile. Just to shame them. How do you like that? Thank mee.
Well, I bought a brush cutter, awhile back. It was used, and non-running. The darn things cost a small fortune when new. This one is an Ariens, with a Tecumseh engine. Ariens is still extant, but Tecumseh went out o' business awhile back, like Hutson, Nash, Studdabaker & Pakkard and Merc-O-ree. They will tell you parts are getting scarce, but on EBay, a seller had several COMPLETE new 6hp vertical shaft Tecumsehs for sale @ $150 each. I really should have bought one, I now realize. Anyway, I cleaned up the brushcutter, started it--even though the pull-rope recoil is screwed up. So, I changed the oil, air filter, spark plug and bought a new recoil for $20. After I got it running, it started leaking fuel and it would run rough. I pulld the carb float bowl, and it was full of debris & the o-ring seal on the bowl was cracked. A few years ago, the thing to do would be put it out by the curb, so the trash man could take it, and be a good little consumer & go to the big box and by a nice, clean NEW one. Either that, or take it to a shop and let them fix it for $120 or so. But, see: you can now go on EBay and they have all kinds of small-engine carburetors, brand-new Asian imports, for $20-25. So, that is the route I went. I must go out there and get my new carburetor on my brush cutter, before the Zurra Jungle starts taking over. It's hot & steamy here, just like the rain forest.
This morning, I taught my 13 year old grandson two important lessons: #1 The value of straight lines while mowing too much, and #2 The value of pricing your labor when selling a service.
http://www.lefttoright.net/images/yard3.JPG
http://www.lefttoright.net/images/yard4.JPG
Folks live in a retirement community that suffers from Mo Maladies, but in addition to the endless droning and petro stink, they're obsessed with dandelions. Spraying spraying spraying, half the time getting the perennials by accident, but hey The Dandelions are Dead at least. I said something rather un PC to the effect of, "why don't y'all accept the dandelions as pretty little lawn ornaments and cut down the cancer rate here instead?" Mom looked surprised, like, how could something so socially acceptable possibly be a bad idea? Ergh.
... this was part of a road trip, and I actually had some thoughts about all this driving. When I'm on the road ... I want to drive. It's like I'm accomplishing some linear goal, something quantifiable, by making more miles. My more logical side thinks it's idiotic to feel that way, but somehow I still do, I wound up passing over the Asylum Museum and Natural Bridge campground in favor of More Miles. Whadya think ... ocd, or some sort of gathering/collecting/foraging impulse gone wild?
PS - Packy, you weren't by any chance out and about in an old beauty, cream over deep green, in a town called Rosebud, a few weeks ago? I was tooling along thinking nothing at all other than how pretty Zurri is in Springtime, and then suddenly I saw this old car pull out behind me and thought about you. Iris, I thought about you when I made the mistake of getting onto some inadvisable bypass and experiencing the wonder of The 75 Untimed Stoplights Of Eastern St. Louis. ... sorry.
iris lilies
5-17-15, 7:01pm
Folks live in a retirement community that suffers from Mo Maladies, but in addition to the endless droning and petro stink, they're obsessed with dandelions. Spraying spraying spraying, half the time getting the perennials by accident, but hey The Dandelions are Dead at least. I said something rather un PC to the effect of, "why don't y'all accept the dandelions as pretty little lawn ornaments and cut down the cancer rate here instead?" Mom looked surprised, like, how could something so socially acceptable possibly be a bad idea? Ergh.
... this was part of a road trip, and I actually had some thoughts about all this driving. When I'm on the road ... I want to drive. It's like I'm accomplishing some linear goal, something quantifiable, by making more miles. My more logical side thinks it's idiotic to feel that way, but somehow I still do, I wound up passing over the Asylum Museum and Natural Bridge campground in favor of More Miles. Whadya think ... ocd, or some sort of gathering/collecting/foraging impulse gone wild?
PS - Packy, you weren't by any chance out and about in an old beauty, cream over deep green, in a town called Rosebud, a few weeks ago? I was tooling along thinking nothing at all other than how pretty Zurri is in Springtime, and then suddenly I saw this old car pull out behind me and thought about you. Iris, I thought about you when I made the mistake of getting onto some inadvisable bypass and experiencing the wonder of The 75 Untimed Stoplights Of Eastern St. Louis. ... sorry.
Why yes! We don't time our traffic lights because we want you to spend more time in our beautiful city. Thank you for doing that!
So, Big Al----is that what you might call a "fitness workout by proxy"? Does it really work that way, though? See, my main concern is keeping the diverse species of vegetation that serve as ground cover below a certain height; that's all. I also want to eliminate certain types of noxious plants altogether, such as poison ivy and those rogue, thorny Zurra trees that pop up all over. I just don't get into that "golf course fairway" type of stuff. I prefer avocations that are more challenging to my littlebittyself, where you end up with something more tangible than uniformly mowed lawn grass.. Lawn care, is simply a manifestation of self-actualization for a person who values order & conformity. Hope that helps you some. Thankk Mee.
So, Big Al----is that what you might call a "fitness workout by proxy"?
Nope, that's called a "teach a kid to do a job properly while making money" object lesson, which serves every child well in life.
See, my main concern is keeping the diverse species of vegetation that serve as ground cover below a certain height; that's all. I hear ya Pacman, what you probably didn't notice was the three red maple trees which recently dumped about 17 Trillion little helicopters onto the yard, with several thousand of those finding enough purchase to start growing littlebitty red maple trees. A few mowings takes care of the ones in the grass and I must have plucked a hundred or so out of the mulch just today. If you look closely, you'll see several pounds of them at the base of the metal valley on the roof. Now, you may consider that a diverse species of vegetation, but I consider it an un-necessary forest.
Why yes! We don't time our traffic lights because we want you to spend more time in our beautiful city. Thank you for doing that!Lol. I guess I was thinking by getting off the highway I'd automatically find myself surrounded by old brick buildings and irises ... instead of the Home Depot and Chili's. Wrong exit. :)
Well, I bought a brush cutter, awhile back. It was used, and non-running. The darn things cost a small fortune when new. This one is an Ariens, with a Tecumseh engine. Ariens is still extant, but Tecumseh went out o' business awhile back, like Hutson, Nash, Studdabaker & Pakkard and Merc-O-ree. They will tell you parts are getting scarce, but on EBay, a seller had several COMPLETE new 6hp vertical shaft Tecumsehs for sale @ $150 each. I really should have bought one, I now realize. Anyway, I cleaned up the brushcutter, started it--even though the pull-rope recoil is screwed up. So, I changed the oil, air filter, spark plug and bought a new recoil for $20. After I got it running, it started leaking fuel and it would run rough. I pulled the carb float bowl, and it was full of debris & the o-ring seal on the bowl was cracked. A few years ago, the thing to do would be put it out by the curb, so the trash man could take it, and be a good little consumer & go to the big box and by a nice, clean NEW one. Either that, or take it to a shop and let them fix it for $120 or so. But, see: you can now go on EBay and they have all kinds of small-engine carburetors, brand-new Asian imports, for $20-25. So, that is the route I went. I must go out there and get my new carburetor on my brush cutter, before the Zurra Jungle starts taking over. It's hot & steamy here, just like the rain forest.Well, I got the cheap Chinese new carb-o-rator on there & noticed that the crankcase oil was diluted by water. I changed the oil last fall, but the machine sat out in the weather while I reorganized the "tiny house" storage shed. I had run it briefly while starting it up last week; water in the oil turns it like coffe with creamer in it. So, I changed the oil, using my Shell Rotella that I bought in gallons and hoarded back before they lowered the ZDDP content in 2007. Ok--started er up, and the carburetor commenced leaking gas. You kids just KNEW I shoulda put it out by the curb, and gone to the Big Box for a NICE, NEW, CLEAN, SHINY, NEW one, like a good little conformist-consumer, right? It's just easier to throw the baby out with the bathwater, right? That way, I'd have more TIME to sit and watch TeeVee--the Kartrashians and stuff, right? Then, work overtime at the Hoe Factory, standing there, doing the same mindless thing, over and over and over, to pay off the credit card, right? Anyway, I determined that it was leaking around the float bowl; and the long and short of it was that I took the steel float bowl off the new carburetor, and salvaged the aluminum float bowl off of the old carburetor, because it fit better. That fixed the fuel leak. Then, I took the machine across the street to the yard of a vacant house, where the vegetation is about 3' high, and knocked down a 40' x 50' area out by the front, next to the street. Areas where it was mainly field grass that was still wet were tougher, because it tended to wrap around the spindle. So, I had to go slower. But overall, it worked very well. Even though they were a major supplier of small engines to the lawn-care equipment industry--Ariens, Sears Craftsman, etc.' they don't make Tecumsehs no more--just like Nash, Hutsson, Merc-O-ree, Plymouth & Ollsmobill & Ponnyyac. They went outta bizness, mainly on account of wheeler-dealer hotshot CEO's like Milt Rommney & his Dad.
Saw this today Packy and thought of you:
https://scontent-lga1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-9/11377142_355691037969464_433124617059189357_n.jpg? oh=18977903a46418c9afb9e1cbb060fdec&oe=55F68030
Weather forecasters are predicting a hot and dry summer here. Maybe that will stifle grass growth and People Who Mow Too Much. Fingers crossed...
Thank You, thank you very much, Big Al! That photo---hey, that looks just about like Church Guy! Getting out there and mow and mow and mow, like there's no tomorrow! He was out there, gett'ner mowed, yesterday. But today---it's Church, All Day. So, no mow. I thought about seizing the day, and going out and mow, because mine does need it. But, I'll let 'er go another day. I did however, buy a five-gallon o' generic roundup and applied some of it it with a sprayer, on selected areas. We have had so much rain, I can't do much. Plus, I've got to bury a dead possum that is drawing flies.
ToomuchStuff
6-2-15, 6:18pm
Mowing the other day, saved me some money. In the last week my roof had some storm damage and I blew a head gasket. Tow truck driver saw me mowing with the reel mower and laughed enough I got a discount. That old reel mower is giving me exercise (Dr's want) and saving me money, but ticking off a certain member as I have to mow more often when using a reel mower.
Wanderer
10-19-15, 12:17am
I work in native plant landscaping and maintain properties for very wealthy people. I try to mow no more than twice a year. There are no lawns on these places though, only prairies and areas with woodies.
I was leading a clean up day at a community center one day when a guy 15 yrs my senior decided he was going to scalp the lawn with his mower. I tried to explain that mowing higher will produce a healthier sod. He didn't like it much and never came back to volunteer again.
I got a kick out of this thread.
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