Termite Chronicles

Welcome to the Termite Chronicles your vicarious experience through my house rehab trials and tribulations...you will leave exhausted. I promise.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

The First Cut

Yesterday I cut my grass for the first time this year. Around these parts cutting hay for farmers and cutting grass for the rest of us is a sure sign of spring. It is the equivalent to cutting wood for the winter. Typically I struggle with this because it is overwhelming. Not only do I have the old farmhouse but I have the old farm, about 3.5 acres of it. Undoubtedly, I am ill-prepared to handle this job. With very unsophisticated equipment (a Murray mower vintage 2002) and my "easy-start" weedeater it is a challenge.

Every year I dread having to start my mower and equipment. I spend more time trying to get my equipment started than I do mowing. It is like I tell my brothers, "You spend more time trying to start your Harley than you do riding it." Nonetheless I was going to be prepared so this year I did something different. I finally had my mower picked up and serviced...for the first time. While it cost me about $400 to have this done it was still cheaper than purchasing a new lawnmower and than having someone else mow the lawn for me.

The mower did start and I did mow. It was a perfect day to mow, wheel around cutting grass, dodging yard obstacles and smelling the fresh cut of grass. The best part of it all was sitting back and surveying the well manicured lawn, a carpet which extended my indoor living space to the outdoors. It is the cheapest renovation I have every undertaken. This year I vow to take advantage of my new living room.

1 comment:

  1. Trina:

    OK, so what kind of mower do you have? How big is it? Do you ride it, push it or stand on the back of a self-propelled model. $400 is big bucks for FIXING a mower. What did it cost initially? (I have a battery-powered mower that only cost $300 new and I just unplug it, push a button and it goes. No fuss, no bother. Mows the whole half-acre without a charge.)

    The point is that I want description. Fun post, though. I like your finish.

    Dan Smith

    ReplyDelete