At first it seemed obvious. Much of the yard work falls into Janay's hands because I physically can't do it. Mowing is one thing I can do, so maybe I like it for that reason. But as I made another sweeping pass across the back yard I thought back to my childhood and remembered how I enjoyed it as a kid. I recall firing up the old rear engine Snapper riding mower and heading out to do laps on my imaginary race track in the back yard. Typically I was leading the pack around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but sometimes I was blazing though the desert in the Baja 1000. Needless to say, sometimes the back yard had some interesting patterns when I was finished.
Hmmm......as I finish up the back yard and head through the gate to the front yard, I'm realizing this "mow zone" thing goes back further than I thought. Once the front yard is reached it's decision time.......will it be straight or angled stripes on the yard today......straight. Back to the "mow zone".
Maybe that's the answer.........mowing stripes onto the yard is another outlet for my artistic side. The lines catch the eye of the unsuspecting passerby and draw them in like leading lines in a photograph. Nah......this can't be it. The only stripes I thought about while mowing as a kid were the racing stripes I pictured on the side of that old Snapper. Plus, I had no artsy side growing up. I first picked up a guitar when I was 25 and didn't get into photography until I was 31.
Could it be that age old "Man and Machine" thing? Have I always been pulled into this mowing thing just because I'm drawn to the tools needed to get the job done? Extensive research was performed before making my lawn mower purchase. I wanted to make sure I had just the right tool for the job before I wrote that check. Push mower? I don't need no stinking push mower! Not to mention I couldn't operate it if I did have one (disability does have its advantages).
As the last stripe is laid on the front yard, I've concluded I might just be weird. My neighbor on one side lets his grass get so high he needs to bale it when he's finished. The other neighbor's doesn't know how to level his mower deck so the blades on one side cut at a different height than the other side. This makes for a real interesting looking yard. He's also the one who likes to cross the property boundary into my side yard. I think he does this on purpose in an attempt to break me out of my "mow zone". Sometimes it works.
The yard is finished. The mower is put to rest in the shed. Another hour of deep thinking while mowing has passed. Am I alone on this? If I am, go ahead and call me weird. I guarantee the next time my rear hits that seat and the blades are engaged, "mow zone" will once again kick in.
ps - Today was a good day......no broken spokes.
4 comments:
Anytime time you want to get into the "mow zone", I have a yard you are welcome to mow. :)
I don't think it's weird at all...in fact, I sometimes get in the "mow zone" and all we have is a push mower. I think it's somewhat relaxing to mow...you don't hear anything but your own thoughts...basicly, you're shutting everything else out...No, that's not weird at all, that's therapy.
Debbie, if you lived closer I would gladly come over and mow. I often look at my neighbors yard and wonder what they would say if I just mowed it without asking.
I agree Twila.....I suppose the noise from the mower cancels everything else out and lets you just think.
You are weird. FO SHO!! I mean who can think with all that noise going on?! Peace and quiet, that is the ticket.
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