Mowing by Moonlight

Today being the last chance for a 65-degree-temps this year, it seemed prudent to set Little Red out in the sun and hope that she would start.

The poor little dear has been having a tough time coughing over to full throttle these past months and the cool weather hasn't helped.

Naturally, after sitting around doing school and engaging in the activities of not mowing and eating cinnamon toast, I was in prime shape to mow grass that was over 9 inches tall.

And thanks to Loren's acetone additive, that baby started after a mere 10 or 11 tries :-)

The trick is to tilt the mower backwards, giving the gas a chance to run out of those cute little holes in the gas tank lid.

I'm not sure why this always seems to work, but it does. You just have to be patient, keep trying and say encouraging things when it stays going for more than one second.

Once the motor turns over for 3 seconds or so you are almost there. And the next time you just start pushing because Little Red likes to get going and keep going uphill, if possible.

This might mean pulling her backwards every other row to keep her on a upward slant, but when you are trying to get the last mowing done of the season and it's November 19 and a cold front is coming in the next day with possible snow showers the day after that, you are willing to pamper the mower, oh yes.

I am happy to say we got her done. As in the last half of the lawn.

Had to run in to town and get more mower gas so THAT took up a precious 32 minutes of time, but I got to listen to country music so you take your trade-offs and live with them.

Still, the lawn was so tall that I often had to take just half a mower width which surprisingly enough can double your mowing time.

The sun was close to setting, the air was cooling off and I had a new supper deadline of 6:15. I couldn't stop to make supper or Little Red might get so cold she wouldn't start again. Not to mention the problem of mowing after dark.

So Ma cranked up the intensity, took off her sunglasses ("oh hey...THAT helps" :-) and plowed ahead.

By 4:45 the sun had dipped below the horizon and I still had at least 45 minutes to go.

I figured that if I could get done by 5:45 I just might make it... One ought to be able to come up with something to eat in 30 minutes, right?

With the help of a waxing moon I finished by 5:45, exactly :-)

I dragged myself into the house and spied the sweet vision of a 64 oz Gatorade, nearly full...

(saved!!)

*glug, glug*

I started the water to boil for the pasta.

*glug, glug*

I threw the nearly thawed hamburger into the skillet.

*glug, glug*

"Hey...you guys didn't make the bread...."

"Oh...sorry...we forgot..."

*start mixing up bread dough*

*glug, glug*

(more supper stuff and really fast kneading)

*glug, glug*

Ethan then strolled into the kitchen and exclaimed, "Mommy! The Gatorade is almost gone!"

"Oh, it is? Guess I needed it."

"So, what's for supper?"

"Whatever it is, you're gonna love it 'cause I was out there killin' myself, mowing. Got it?"

"Oh...ok..."

I am happy to report that everyone survived supper--which was served by 6:20--and I managed to stay awake during my hot bath, though just barely.

Now that the rigors of the day are past, I can turn my mind to things of a more philosophical nature, and burning questions come to mind...

"They can crash a probe on Mars, but they can't produce a cheap push-mower with headlights that will cut 10-inch grass. Why?"
 

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