Mowing, mowing, mowing . . .

While not mowing for a few weeks during the 'gee, is it warm enough to mow' phase of spring seemed like a good idea due to the dead lawnmower, I now realize it allowed a rougher element to creep into power amidst the young and tender blades of spring grass reaching skyward.

The tough grass is hard to cut, often requiring more than one pass to completely eradicate its presence among the softer stems that we'd like to encourage.

I am beginning to feel, with back aching and sore arms and legs that resemble nothing so much as quivering jelly that the course grass and weeds that have sprouted are bearing some quasi-invisible chlorophyll tattoos and possible gang connections to the field grasses from the vacant lot next door. Virtually impossible to cut in two complete passes, the mower must be rolled back and forth over the grass breaking all regulations in the mowing handbook about not raising the deck up and lowering it down onto the grass by degrees.

However, without this manuever, the tough grasses lay down in an evil limbo inspired initiation to prove that they are truly tough and that even my new mower isn't powerful enough to take
'em down! I can hear the maniacle laughter in the grass even now.

"You'll never take us alive, lady! Your mower can never take the Chlorophyll Clan!"

But, because I haven't ever been one to put up with the wicked laughter of unkempt grass and foliage, I persist until I hear the mower hit paydirt as it were, chopping into the tough stems until they are finally cut down to size.

The influence of the rough element is finally reduced amongst the softer grasses that invite barefoot walking on cool evenings. Since this is a work in progress, I have had to take a break from the rigors of the mowing and get a glass of water to replinish the tissues that have given their all to support my drive for a nice lawn.

While I doubt I'll ever win the coveted yard of the week plaque and the notariety of being in the newspaper as the envy of grasses all over town, I do want people who come to visit us to be able to enjoy the time spent in my yard without worrying that their steak will snatched by some predator from the high grass.

I heard they are doing a yard makeover contest at a TV station nearby. I need to enter that contest and get them to redo MY yard. Frankly, I'd be happy to just get some topsoil in to level it out and get new shrubbery planted along with some grass seed.

Of course, I won't scream too much if they feel I need some elegant garden setting applied to my yard. I'll figure out how to maintain it. If they build it . . . I will come. . . and mow it, or prune it, or fertalize it.

(to the tune of Rawhide!)
Mowing, mowing, mowing
Keep those mowers going
Cutting down the grasses so high
Rain and wind and weather
Birds nests and lost feathers
Wishing my mower would self drive
Hope no spots I’m missing
While the mower’s kissing
Each blade of grass on it’s quiet ride


Cut ‘em down, chop it up, mulch it all
Make it nice, Mower!
Count each pass, push uphill
Push around the rocks and rills
Cut ‘em down, chop it up, mulch it all
Make it nice, mower!

Keep it mowin’ mowin’ mowin’
Though tough grass is showin
Keep them blades all sharpened
Mowing!
Can’t try to speed right o’er them
Just cut and chop and mow ‘em
Soon we’ll be looking low and tight
My mind’s calculating
My new mower’s waiting
It’s waiting at the end of my week
Mowin’! Mowin’