Arrrgh!!!

My lawn thinks it's a hay field! It's masquerading as a harvestable crop, and it rained today. I can hear it growing out there!

I've mentioned in a previous entry that I was filling in as the lawn mower of record for DH and managed to do something to the mowing deck. It absolutely SHUDDERS when I try to engage the blades. So, we contacted the dealer to make arrangements for them to come get it for repairs.

It seems that I am not the only person who has run into things, because we had to wait approximately TWO WEEKS for them to pick it up. And, now that they have it in their clutches (no pun intended), I don't expect to see it for a week or more at the very earliest. I think I'm in the wrong business. They charged $40 for pick up and delivery, and another $30 to just look at the darned thing.

The dealer was upfront about the delay, so we bit the bullet and bought a self-propelled walk-behind mower. Unfortunately, we will have to walk behind this thing daily to keep the grass to a level the mower can deal with.

Last Saturday, two of my younger nephews came for the day and gave me some help with the yard. The youngest one, who is ten, helped me dead-head the peonies, and water the container garden. Then he walked part of the lawn, picking up downed branches so that his older brother could mow. Their father took pity on them and brought his mower over to give them a hand.

It is never possible for me to adequately explain how grateful I am to have help in the yard. The boys saved me from disaster. I have a bad back, and I suspect that I don't have enough strength to make the pull start on the mower work. I would have obsessed about that growing grass if they hadn't come to help. Now, we have it down to a level I can manage.

Dear Husband has a summer cold. He came down with a doozey today. So, tomorrow night, when he gets home from work, I'll have him crank up the mower for me, and I'll go mow for an hour or so.

Ah....the joys of summer.