Monday, May 30, 2016

Lessons of the Lawn Mower

       Mowing the lawn should be considered as an Olympic sport and an education all rolled in one. Let me explain. Today, Luke continued on with the roof and I decided to tackle the overgrown lawn. I was reminded as I worked that a riding lawn mower and a weeping willow tree--really any low hanging tree for that matter--make for a problem solving situation for sure. Some might simply leave the sneaky grass under the low hanging tree, others might save it for the weed whip, but not I. I'm stubborn. And this is where the Olympic sport aspect comes in.
        The further under you go, the branches start wacking at you and trying to keep you from moving farther. So, you have two options: Lean as far forward as possible or lean as far back. I tried both. I did manage to achieve a nice scratch up my arm and my neatly bunned hair was a little worse for the wear afterwards, but I won. Then there is the competition where you see how close you can get to the propane tank without getting stuck...I got stuck. And then there is the matter of the tricky incline of the ditch, but like I said, I'm stubborn. I won.
      It used to be that in figure skating, they judged you by the designs you swirled into the ice. Well, that sport could easily be converted to lawn mowing. What kinds of crazy, crooked lines and designs can you create as you drive along.
       As far as the educational aspect of mowing the lawn there are many lessons learned. You are transported back in time to the days of the Dust Bowl every time you go over one of the many gopher mounds, sending swirls of dust everywhere. You also learn that those same gopher mounds like to bog you down, so you hit the gas and shoot over them faster. And then sometimes you learn that no amount of forward or reverse is going to get you unstuck and you simply must get off and push. So many lessons!
       This evening, Luke and I finished the day with both of us up on the roof getting soaked by the rain as we worked to staple down the tar paper. Luke certainly has his work cut out for him with this crazy roof line. Adventures. Happy Monday!

"Truth is a deep happiness that teaches us to be content in our everyday life and share with people the same happiness." ~Khalil Gibran 

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