We live in what one might classify as a residential area. There are lots of homes in the neighborhood. Most people take pride in their homes and one way of showing that pride is by keeping the lawns mowed and Saturday morning seems to be the morning of choice to mow. By 8 AM the air is filled with the sounds of lawn mowers. I am not talking talking about just two or three, but more like 10 or 11 and a quick spin through the neighborhood confirms just how busy everyone is.
It may sound strange, but I enjoy cutting the grass. No, I don't cut a design of the Boston Red Sox in my front yard to annoy my 'Yankee fan' neighbor and I probably don't have the best looking grass to begin with. Sure, I'll throw a bit of seed around each Spring, but I am not big on fertilizers and other chemicals, especially with a dog. But after the dandelions are gone and the mowing is complete, it is one of those activities where you can look back and say... OMG, I missed a spot with the lawnmower! Where did I put the weed-whacker?
In the early Spring there are some folks in the neighborhood who seem to have weekly visits from the lawn care folks, posting their little warning signs about staying off the grass because of all the chemicals they just added. A representative from the company will often knock on my door and politely ask if I wish to engage in their services for a mere $100 each week, They assure me that I can have the best looking lawn in the neighborhood. Does it really look that bad?
Truth is I am a mulcher. I have a lawn mower that cuts and mulches at the same time, returning the fresh cuttings back to the earth where they will eventually replenish the soil with their “rich nutrients” and, of course, all those last remaining dandelion parts and pieces. It's never to early to get ready for next year's crop.
For those of you who know my lawn, it is not always the easiest to “manicure”. I do have a riding lawnmower that pretty much takes care of the front yard and leaves a pattern of nice even stripes across the front of the house, 'kinda' like the look of the outfield at Fenway.
But the back yard is a much different story and when I get ready to work in the yard, I need to allow for at least a couple of hours, which includes weed-whacking around the many hostas and all the trees. We live somewhat in the woods.
As the lawn and garden season approached this year, despite the mild winter, I decided to finally have the mower serviced. It had been a while and it was time to replace the blades that have hit their share of rocks and tree roots over the past couple years. It is not the easiest lawn to mow.
But with the new blades, a new spark plug and fresh oil, the lawn looks pretty good so far and I am sure almost everyone in the neighborhood is commenting, saying that I have finally cut my lawn.
Seriously. I do like to mow the lawn, to get outside and enjoy the sun and warm weather and work in the garden. To date we have had some nice early Spring days, but lately the warmer weather seems to be staying away. (This past winter really spoiled us! It was so mild.)
One more thing. Our yard is more that just 'somewhat green' grass. I already mentioned the hostas, more than 100. But we have some beautiful gardens too. It would take a bit of time to describe the amount of time and work that goes into the gardens. So, I will let a picture or two speak those thousand words. Kudos to my wife.
So if you happen to be riding through Pittsfield sometime soon, just turn left on to Birchwood Terrace and enjoy the view.
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