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.
Very nice place!
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