Adventures in LawnCare

Let me make one thing clear - I have never (untill today) mowed a lawn. My father enjoys lawn work and has always done this chore.

Last week our two-doors-down neighbour came over to see if I was willing to make $20 mowing their lawn this week while they were in Ireland. I had only to mow the front yard and the back once in the week they were gone and, if I remembered, to water their garden. Thinking "How hard can it be?" I said sure and things were set. I was basing my thought on observations of dad, who handles the mower with ease, even at times with one hand (even reversing it). I neglected to take into account the fact that he is a foot taller than I and has at least 75lbs. on me.

Today I went over to tackle the job. I used our machine thinking if it were broken in my innitation to mowing it was at least ours and not theirs. I decided to start in the back because there I coud "get the hang of it" and move to the front. Some one had already done the front. Fine, whatever, there is still the back. The back is not the nicest place to begin ones foray into lawncare. There are more dirt patches and holes than there is grass. Whatever - I can still do this; I think. So I make an attempt to start the machine. I make another. And another. After about 5 min of this (one time it caught but I accidentally let go of the clutch) I watered the garden to take a break. Then more tries. And still more. I cannot yank the chord fast enough to make it catch. But finally after much prayer and frustration I got it started. It had taken 10 min, not counting watering the garden. So the mower takes off with me behind it striving to not lose controll. I head right at the fence and do not have room to turn to the side and cannot for the life of me reverse it. I finally do and after about 30 min. of fighting with the machine I win, and the lawn has been mowed with out damage to me or anything else.

I do not think I will start a lawn business anytime soon.