As you may recall, the wife and I have moved out to the country (though we are not eating a lot of peaches). For the previous 8 years we lived in places where we had no lawn. Prior to that, we had a small 1.5 acre lawn in a subdivision, and the neighbor kid used his dad’s lawn mower to mow the lawn for us for $40 a pop. I haven’t had to mow a lawn in nigh on 15 years. When you live on 20+ acres, and the actual home + barn + shop are on a good 2-3 acres, a strategy of no mowing is not going to work. Property requires maintenance after all.
As a kid, I always enjoyed mowing the lawn because we had a riding mower. It was a cheap-o Craftsman from Sears that my dad picked up used. Of course, that was back in the days when a riding lawn mower that had the oil changed and basic maintenance would last, well, some are probably still running today. Mostly though, I was trusted with power equipment and made $20 dollars for taking care of the 1.5 acre lot our house was on, including the trim work with the weed whacker. Back in those days $20 was, while not a substantial sum, it was real money for a 12-year-old in 1980mumble.
So going back to needing to mow the grass, I bought a Zero Turn Radius Cub Cadet. It looks like a go-cart. 27hp engine and all kinds of other fancy shit as one might expect. And there is a surprising number of videos online of how to upgrade it (including improving the springs on the seat) for more comfort. It even has a cupholder for my beer.
Mowing the grass is probably never going to be as much fun as other activities, but this ZRT mower makes it more fun than a chore of this size has any right to be. I am enough of a hillbilly to admit that I enjoy taking the thing out to the dirt area the horses used to use and doing power slides to spin it around. And that I generally disregard the warnings about which hills are too steep to take it down. The simple truth is that it makes mowing the grass pleasant. I won’t say meditative.
It engages the brain enough to focus slightly and to feel present in one’s body, while also leaving enough time to ruminate, cogitate, and otherwise think deep thoughts. Like, “Should I have rye or bourbon when I finish?” or “Should I use a v-cut or a guillotine on that My Father cigar I’ve been saving?” It also allows for frivolous thoughts on the joy of work.
Now, I’m not claiming that work will set you free. But doing a task that engages both the body and the mind, and has a concrete end result, (IE: the yard now looks good, not an overgrown mess) leaves one with a sense of accomplishment that has to be good for the mental health. Some sunshine, some wind, and some nature all add to that. It creates a sense of justifiable pride.
Work creates a type of pride that is based on accomplishment and creating value. Instead of being based on the resounding gong of ego. Not to go all old-man-shaking-his-fist-at-clouds, but I think one of the most valuable lessons from growing up when, where, and in the environment I did, I learned the value of work. Of sometimes needing to get things accomplished regardless of whether I wanted to. And that getting things done can often provide a sense of well-being.
It makes me wonder if the prosperity and luxury of our country and the overweening precautionary principle have combined to mean kids do less work of this time, fewer chores, and that cripples them. Makes them turn to dead end ideas. The idea of taking care of yourself has become foreign and therefore frightening to whole lot of people.
Maybe all we need are more Zero Turn Radius mowers.
My daughter finds great satisfaction in manual labor and the work she does at Walmart. She just got a promotion from dairy (she loves working in the cooler) to unloading the trucks, which she finds even more satisfying (also, it pays much better).
My son’s motivated by money. He doesn’t get paid for doing our lawn, so he does a shit job. If it’s somebody else’s lawn, he takes great pride in his work and is as professional as they come.
She just got a promotion from dairy (she loves working in the cooler) to unloading the trucks, which she finds even more satisfying (also, it pays much better).
Sounds like me at the grocery store when I was a kid except all the jobs paid the same.
I looked working in the dairy aisle. It wasn’t as hot as other parts of the store and it kept you off cash registers unless things got really, really busy.
Unloading trucks I found very interesting, though frustrating some times if you get a truck loaded poorly.
+1 toppled pallet.
I worked in a closed shop so I got to experience the “benefits” of unions firsthand. Meat and Deli were the meat cutters union and I the grocery.
closed shops are an abomination.
/stuck in a closed shop.
My yard is too tiny for a ztr, but the value of a good job well done? Priceless.
Our yard is not large, but our street is terraced, so we have a slope on one side that Tom T has to mow. I wonder if your mower model would make the job easier for him…
The cool thing about a ZTR is that you can engage the reverse while going downhill to control your rate of descent. Or mow perpendicular to the grade and give the down hill drive a bit more juice than the uphill side.
Do you have the cub cadet with the 4ws or 4wd (I forget which)? We looked at them years ago but the dealer discouraged us from the castering front wheels due to the slopes and weirdness of our property. Didn’t want to end up in the pond.
The ZTRs with a steering wheel are better for steep terrain. Cub Cadet makes a good one.
The lap bars are pretty good right up to the point where the mower starts to side-slip.
I have a slope, and about a half acre to three quarters of an acre of open yard. I use a walk-behind mower which works fine for me.
CA,
Thanks for this.
I feel the same way about cutting grass. I did it for years on my own house for the dad, as a early way to make money as a teen/pre teen, and as a young adult. It allowed me time to think and daydream while accomplishing something necessary.
I still use manual labor as a way to clean my mind and have a sense of short term accomplishment as most of my work takes months to years to complete.
I’ve been doing some home improvement work and it has helped make my paying work go more smoothly. I spent last night staining and sanding some wood. Amazing what it can do. Though I think the fact it isn’t something I have to do helps though.
It helps to have a projects that don’t need to get done as well as those that have to get done but are not critical. For me grass cutting is a must get done, but not critical to anyone. I’m not to concerned if my grass looks like crap as long as it is green, this contrasts with my day who takes great pride in his lawn.
I have small projects I do all winter to keep me active and sane during the dark months. I built several audio projects, refurbished pinball machines, and the like.
I usually have to give my self some deadline for home projects or I won’t feel any urgency to get them done.
I try to keep some minor projects going as well. Spreadsheets and lists so I can track them. I do have that type of personality that sometimes I have to pace myself. I have, on occasion, intended to work a couple hours on a home improvement project after work and found myself working until midnight.
I get antsy when some woodworking project is very close to being done. I have a hard time focusing on anything else, and I just want to drop everything and run out to the garage to finish it up. Even as we speak, there’s a dresser in the garage with a coat of paint on it from this morning, and I’m fighting the urge to throw on another coat. I have to tell myself that I’m already showered and dressed for work and there’s no time for that.
I currently have no lawn to mow and I’m pretty happy about that.
I put in enough time in my younger years mowing for my parents on a pair of old Bolens. One had a stick shift and one had the fancy hydrostatic drive.
I recall them being fairly zippy.
When we become empty nesters, I want an apartment. I want nothing that I need a garage for and no mowing or snow shoveling or anything else.
???
Where will you store your stockpile of weapons and ammunition?
My stock pile is scattered all over the house, with the heavy stuff in the basement. The garage is for cars and powered yard equipment.
In the dead spaces of our captain’s bed.
That sounds like it should be a metaphor. But for what, who knows?
We do euphemisms around here, Pilgrim!
Everywhere.
The answer is everywhere.
Just like DEG, ‘cept I my house is on a slab – no basement.
I can appreciate the sentiment. I’m pretty happy in a townhouse, though my garage is way more cluttered than I would like.
my garage is way more cluttered than I would like.
So what are you waiting for?
If I make a clean spot, magically, more DeadAunt stuff will materialize.
*frowny face*
I figure, if I throw out my husband’s stuff, he has the right to throw out my stuff, so I do not do that. I just arrange it neatly in stacking tubs.
This weekend I climbed up on a ladder and replaced the motion-activate driveway light that has been semi-busted for far too long. All without electrocuting myself.
I then pulled out the blower and got all of the leaves and crud off the front and sides of the house.
Minor things, but it reminded my of the satisfaction from doing physical tasks instead of just tapping at a keyboard for a living
Im hanging new LEDfixtures in a grow room today, and my Black uniform is now a nice shade of drywall white, but the job looks great.
I am enough of a hillbilly to admit that I enjoy taking the thing out to the dirt area the horses used to use and doing power slides to spin it around.
This is beautiful.
Work creates a type of pride that is based on accomplishment and creating value. Instead of being based on the resounding gong of ego. Not to go all old-man-shaking-his-fist-at-clouds, but I think one of the most valuable lessons from growing up when, where, and in the environment I did, I learned the value of work. Of sometimes needing to get things accomplished regardless of whether I wanted to. And that getting things done can often provide a sense of well-being.
Yes.
Getting my first job with a paycheck helped cure lots of teenaged angst/stupidity/other-like-minded-stuff.
Having a job is a good thing, and something I think all teenagers should go through.
A friend of mine who is retired makes spending money by working the yard sale/flea market/facebook marketplace circuit. He finds cheap stuff, tidies it up, and flips it. He keeps track of how much he spends on buying cheap stuff and getting a flea market table, and how much he has coming in from his sales. He nets enough money that he hasn’t used his bank account for years for his spending money. His bank account and retirement savings cover his bills and an occasional splurge. His business keeps him active plus adds to his happiness and well-being.
My parents have done a similar thing. Dad has setup a little furniture restoration shop in the outbuilding. He takes one piece at a time and restores it. Basically on a commission basis. Started out doing stuff for Mom, then the family, then friends, then referrals. Mom is basically a Southern Marie Kondo and does that a few times a month mostly to get out of the house and stay active.
Good.
I have fond memories of the Cub Cadet I used for years on our 1.5 acreish lawn in Wisconsin. I believe it was vintage 1970ish, with a Kohler engine that no way had 27 horsepower. It was a frickin’ tank. Started every time, did the whole lawn in one robusto cigar. On the whole, I don’t miss having a lawn to fuss over, but it honestly wasn’t too bad, especially compared to the years I spent cutting it with a push mower. It was a long way from zero turn, so I adjusted the boundaries on all the flower and vegetable beds to curves it could handle.
I am now blessed with no lawn whatsoever, just a yard that wants to kill me, or at least make me bleed, whenever I leave the path. This morning it featured a herd of javelinas, the usual lizards and rabbits. The passing coyote stayed on the road (see, above, re killing and bleeding).
Preach it, brother. Even the most mundane chores usually provide a lift to me. Much as I grumble before I get going on them.
In addition to keeping a to-do list, I keep a dun-did list to remind me of what I got done. If I’m puttering along in my day getting things done, I will forget if I don’t write them down and then end up depressed that I got nothing done and/or I can’t figure out where my time went.
I use green ink. It is imperative that my journal page is half covered with green at the end of the day.
Nothing quite like looking at a nice neat list of things to do, with straight lines through the things that are done.
I enjoy washing dishes. It’s mindless enough to think, ruminate,cogitate. But when done, the kitchen is clean and ready for a new project.
We have a big enough yard for a zero turn, but not enough garage space. So we have a standard John Deere which is really nice. Mrs. TOK does the lawn mowing partly because I can’t use the pedals on the mower very well, and partly because she likes it cut a certain way and my rows aren’t exactly neat.
I have driven a zero turn, they are perfect for me because there are no pedals involved. They are a lot of fun, mainly because they can cut even when you’re going top speed.
My “Lawn” is a three foot margin between the sidewalk and street. my little 14″ push mower is probably as big as I can go.
Oh that does remind me. When I went out this morning, I looked at the margin and went “oh hey, someone came along and mowed it.”
That someone had been me, yesterday.
I picture you as an old school, manual reel mower type guy.
My family had one of those for a while.
We had an acre.
Yeah, we didn’t make much headway with mowing during that time.
I was never fond of them. Especially when I have to deal with overgrown grass.
My dad had one, just for the exercise and meditation, and he could do it very early in the morning. He mowed one section every day.
There is a zen to one of those as well. A reel mower that is sharp and properly adjusted cuts grass better than any other mower.
They scissor the grass, instead of thrashing it.
It’s like doing wood-working with the proper hand tool, or raking your Japanese sand garden.
That sounds really fun. I’m sure it’s not fun all the time, but it’s fun enough to sound fun. Someday I really want to own enough land to have reason to buy all manner of powered equipment. The work justifies the purchase, the fun justifies the work.
You nailed it. My g/f said, “Moving out here is an excuse to have all the toys, isn’t it?” Yes. Yes it is.
https://www.bobcat.com/loaders/skid-steer-loaders/models/s590/features
Do yourself a favor and stay away from Bobcat
Takeuchi or GTFO
My neighbor has a Kubota tracked skidsteer. He does everything with it but mow the lawn.
He ‘s got a batwing tow behind for a full size tractor and 10 acres and a 60″ Grasshopper ZTR to do the edging.
I won’t knock Kubota, other than being priced like a Kubota.
What’s the knock on Bobcat?
On topic but contrarian: I hate lawns. I hate mine, yours, everybody’s. I hate taking care of them, including mowing. Etc. etc. etc. Mrs. Tree likes mowing, though, so she’s happy to take care of it, though we don’t have a ZTR.
Off-topic, carryover commentary from the most recent dead thread discussion on delayed gratification and rich-poor. One shorthand statement that I find super-accurate is “CULTURE EATS STRATEGY FOR LUNCH”. It’s always true. You can have plans, you can teach people, you can buy stuff, but culture’s (external and the internal manifestations inside each person) is going to win. For better or for worse.
Yes, if you work hard and get ahead, there is often family asking for help – with rent or car repairs or they want you to cosign a loan and then don’t pay because the car broke down and on and on. …. Too often escaping poverty means leaving your family behind. That’s a hard ask of people.
On topic but contrarian: I hate lawns. I hate mine, yours, everybody’s. I hate taking care of them, including mowing. Etc. etc. etc.
I hate poorly planned lawns. Well planned lawns have 99% of the mowing done by the mower at a brisk pace and the other 1% being an optional run with the weed wacker to make sure the edges are perfectly cut. Stuff like dodging roots and hoses and random bricks and having to stop every 6 feet to get around a fence pole drives me nuts.
Look at the Central Planer over here.
Appy polly loggys, but-
Hackers early Tuesday morning reportedly tapped into a Florida digital highway sign and made it display messages calling to “Arrest Fauci.”
A local NBC News station reported that the sign, which was located on the side of Miami’s 836 by the exit to Northwest 27th Avenue, also displayed the words “COVID-19 was a hoax,” and “vaccines kill.”
Miami-Dade Expressway Authority were made aware of the sign and turned off the messaging by mid-morning the outlet noted.
The Hill reached out to Miami-Dade County Transportation & Public Works for comment.
Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading infectious disease expert and chief medical adviser to President Biden, has faced increased backlash in recent months for his role in educating Americans about the coronavirus during the onset of the pandemic.
Backlash?
That senile quack should be dangling from a lamppost.
Were they Russian hackers?
The backlash he’s faced isn’t for “his role in educating Americans about the coronavirus”. The media continues to be propagandists.
Educating, misleading… whatevs.
Video comments? ?
That’s some old-school hacking shit. Respect.
+3600
-1000
OT: A banana republic if you can keep it.
Oh, surely that sort of stunt will never come back to haunt anyone. I swear they’re trying to make the country come apart in a civil war.
I fail to see the problem in ruining peoples lives based on something subjective that can only be defined by members of one political party. /sarc
I swear they’re trying to make the country come apart in a civil war.
*sigh*
*checks ammoseek.com*
Why don’t they just come right out and call it “wrongthink”?
Are we going to be suspending the law licenses of everyone who lies in public now?
That should be entertaining.
If I was a retired NY lawyer, I do believe I’d put together a template complaint letter, and entertain myself by filing dozens and dozens of complaints against people I dislike who happen to have law licenses and make “false or misleading statements”.
What percentage of Congress holds a law license?
I’m sure much higher than the population at large.
Consider for a moment that this guy has a law license.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Schiff
I have a Honda walk-behind that I’ve used exactly once this season. After using it to mulch the leaves in October, I ran it dry and stuck it behind the snowblower. Once I refilled it, it started on the first pull. Unfortunately the eastern half of my back yard is too soft to use it — it sinks in to where the blade contacts the surface. But after switching to a manual weed cutter for that part, I’ve got enough various plants to at least hold down the soil (strawberries, blackberries, daisies, yarrow, horseweed, chicory and St. John’s wort mostly). Maybe in a couple of years, I can go back to using the mower on the whole cleared part.
Honda makes good power equipment. My mower and my snowblower are both Hondas. Very good.
I’ve had my hrx217 for about 15 years now, I’ve replaced the carb twice due to my own fault letting it sit too long with gas. Otherwise it’s been flawless.
We used to have a lawn guy, but he was too unreliable, and honestly too expensive. Now I’m doing the loving, and although I hate the heat, I really find myself enjoying the work, and thebpride that comes from having a well manicured lawn.
I have that one, too, and for about the same time. Starts on the first pull every time. It’s my third Honda in 28 years – the other two I gave away to get a new one. They both still ran perfectly.
My MIL recently moved to my area after the death of my FIL last year. She was never one to mow or maintain the house, but she tries. The new house has a lawn that would take 5-10 minutes to mow. I got her a Li Ion battery powered lawn mower for Christmas. It does the job and requires no maintenance. She mowed the new lawn once so far this year.
The neighbor’s kid next door has been cutting her lawn for her without thinking about it all season. She was initially upset as she never asked him to do it and doesn’t want him to feel obligated. I told her that this is what people do up here. Thank him and maybe give him a nice card or bake him some cookies.
What she doesn’t understand is that the previous owner of her house was a crazy lady that brought down the property values of the neighborhood. They are really happy to have you there. Also you are a widow that people want to help as it makes them feel good.
I have to admit I have someone come and mow my lawn for me. It’s the grandkids of our back neighbors’ best friends (we’re on friendly terms with the back neighbors and their friends). The guys (they’re in their 20s) have also helped us with a bunch of other projects – one works for the electric company and the other works for the county water, so they both know a lot about the things that we need help on. If it ever gets to the point they don’t want the work, I’ll get a zero-turn. In the meantime, I do try to give myself a few projects to stretch my skill set. I’ve been trimming our front hedges. I took down a jury-rigged (surprisingly sturdily jury-rigged) combination pool slide and swing set. My next project is going to be putting up a ceiling fan in our back porch (it’s screened in and already has a ceiling light). I figure once I got that figured out, I can put them up on the front porch and the balcony. I like the projects. They’re things I never really got to do when I was living in the city. And there’s a certain satisfaction in knowing that you can be useful for basic projects and not just do a specific skill that you’re paid for.
My experience is that the hardest part of replacing light fixtures is you need an extra set of hands. The actual work is relatively straight forward.
Extra hands are good to have for light fixtures.
For ceiling fans you need bailing wire and or an old wire hangar.
This reminded me of the Zen koan-
Chop wood. Carry water.
It used to be more prominently in my consciousness, I’m shamed to say.
I love this one.
The master was asked ‘what did you do before enlightenment?’
‘Chop wood, carry water.’
‘What did you do after enlightenment?’
‘Chop wood, carry water.’
More seekers after enlightenment need this chopped into their water 😉
“More seekers after enlightenment need this chopped into their water.”
Well put. I will humbly add that there’s nothing transcendent about it; it’s enmeshing, in a good way.
Pretty much explains Ozy’s article the other day.
I don’t see a whole lot of difference between the Tao and the four gospels, but a large percentage of the west have decided to shit on their religious heritage for adolescent reasons whereas the Chinese have not.
We have an Ariens ZTR mower with a 50 inch deck. Does a great job. But I have places that are two steep to use the ZTR, so that gets done with a push mower.
We have lots of trees on the property. The ZTR is a blessing compared to the old riding mower we used to have.
Yeah, we have lots of weird angles and tight spots that make it perfect.
http://31.media.tumblr.com/fb550e1ea8e5b98a457df511396e50a5/tumblr_mrrh4paIiY1sdo5dio1_500.gif
Oh man. That’s perfect.
Couldn’t find a decent clip, only this poor one: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lC8LrBrHZKQ
For the upgraded ZTR, this is the choice
https://www.hustlerturf.com/products/super-z
My father owns two up at his farm. 14mph on a zero turn is a ride
I wanted a larger deck (who doesn’t?) but there’s a couple of spots where I have to go through an opening in a fence and the current one just barely fits.
My current house has too much slope for a rider so my next mower is going to be something like this.
https://sleequipment.com/tru-cut-c25-h-25-inch-reel-mower.html
California Democrat suggests Catholic church should be stripped of tax-exempt status if it denies Biden communion
“According to the Pew Research Center, 67 percent of US Catholics disagree with banning Biden from taking Communion”
And if 67% of US Catholics don’t believe in the Trinity does that mean Papa is going to change his mind? I always enjoy how matters of faith need to operate based on democratic principles. It’s part of the reason the former Augustinian Martin Luther decided to vandalize the church door with a list 95 things.,.
“In other surprising findings, 95% of US Catholics are cultural Catholics only and don’t really follow or even care about Church teachings…”
(Probably a bit low)
Yes, let’s punish the church for upholding church doctrine and failing to validate a member who endorses and promotes the mass commitment of mortal sin.
Do these idiots even think about what they’re actually saying?
Part of it, I think, comes from other faiths that are more bottoms up.
If a congregation has an issue with a Pastor or Rabbi you don’t renew his or her contract, for example.
Yeah, I remember watching CNN maybe, in 2005. They were doing surveys and interviews with American Catholics seeking opinion on what should be the ethnic & national background and theological views of the next pope. I remember thinking just how completely clueless they were about how much CNN’s polling would effect the College of Cardinals.
Rudy Giuliani’s law license suspended in NY over statements on voter fraud
Meanwhile you have an AG who said if elected she would target Trump….
Whoops missed Rhys post drugs falling out everywhere!
Not sure if you heard, but McAfee [didn’t] killed himself.
I always wondered why lawyers had to be licensed. If someone wants to hire a person who knows jack shit about the law, why is that the government’s business? You’re allowed to represent yourself even if you have a poor understanding of the law, so why can’t you hire someone to do the same? And if a person studies the law independently and wants to charge to represent you in court, why can’t they?
I guess I see why now.
I think I saw it hear, but they used to not require a law degree. If you could study and pass the bar exam, you were a lawyer. Then the schools got involved and now it’s nothing but a racket.
Reading law under the supervision of a lawyer was the traditional path before leaving schools. I think there’s some states that still allow it. If I remember correctly, California surprisingly is one of them.
*before law schools
See Kim K. failing the baby bar exam
*exam (twice, apparently).
Reminds me I need to order more insecticide and mole traps.
can you recommend a brand of mole traps. I hate those little bastards.
When I had a mole problem in Wisconsin, I noticed the dirt moving in one of their tunnels. Two .45 rounds later, I didn’t have a mole problem any more. For awhile, anyway.
I’ve been using the smoke bombs and at best reach a lull in the war. With that and early fire season, I’m going to try this one
https://www.victorpest.com/victor-mole-trap-0645
In a bad year, my yard looks like miniature rolling hills from those bastards.
thanks. And it looks like we’re planning to do some mogul skiing. I’m tempted to pour take some advice from Animal’s younger self and treat them like wasps but I have a feeling I’d need a lot of gasoline to do that.
Rodenator Pro for the win!
I LOVE this one, sometimes it even chops them in half.
I will second that mole trap – they work, I have four of them and have bagged a lot of moles with these. Another good mole trap is a Gopher Hawk.
Work great on moles, too. My neighbor recently got one and has harpooned 4 moles so far this year with it. Avoid those Victor plunge mole traps with the spikes – absolutely worthless.
My g’daughter and husband are on vacation from Alaska so we started downsizing. We gave them an extended bed F-150 and started filling it up. I gave my reloading equipment stuff to them, tossed in 2 Rem -1100s that I bought 50 years ago but haven’t shot for over 30 years. I asked my g-daughter what the 2 enemies of guns are, she immediately regurged the answer. We have to go the garage and start on the tackle boxes.
Because they work in a remote village and have to barge everything in at fairly high cost I didn’t want to load them up with superfluous stuff, they are a little unsure about what comes next in their life(s). If they move to road access I would send more. I’ll send a chain saw with them this time.
I started counting all the stuff that fell in the river when the boat capsized and there seems to be a quite of bit of inventory. My two old friends are having the same problems, 1 with kids, 1 w/o kids. Amazing how things accumulate. I still have to sort through for 2 more g’daughters but they are not the outdoor type.
I can ride the lawnmower now but I found I had a flat tire, hope it will get fixed today by those in the first paragraph, I think it just needs a plug. My life totally changed a few months ago, tough to do even the simplest things. Things keep getting better though. Looks like the bees are not finding much this year due to the drought. It is what it is.
I have .5 acre and push mow all of it (except the driveway and where the house sits). My neighbors think this is crazy, but it takes a little over an hour plus I get some long-er distance walking in a week. The mower is also battery powered so I can listen to a podcast while doing it without blowing my eardrums out.
I was mowing 3-4 acres but between the drought and now the tree canopy it’s way less, only an acre or so, it would take 14 hours but I’d spread it over 3 days. Fortunately it only required mowing about 3 times a year, this year maybe less. Grass is brown now and no rain in sight. I have a younger neighbor, more like 50, he’s been good about doing things for me but I hate to rely on him. Yesterday he installed a dish washer, he wouldn’t take any money but left with a quart of honey and a smile.
Lots of things that used to be important no longer are.
I’m with Pine_Tree on this topic. I hate lawns. In the last twenty-three years I’ve moved around quite a lot and in all that time I’ve lived at exactly one house that required me to mow and the only reason I lived there was because the woman I was living with at the time insisted on having a house with one.
This aversion to lawns probably stems from a childhood of being forced to mow three acres with a push mower then weed eat around the house, the shed, the chicken coop, the fencing around the orchard and all the trees in the fencing…the weed eater was corded.
That’s what I like about hand tool woodworking, shining shoes, making pasta dough, and other things that people tell me are “too much work when you can just buy something at the store”.
This is why I like hand drawing and painting. I could never do digital art. It just didn’t feel right, and I spent too much brain power figuring out how to make the software do what I want. So I put on music, get out my paints and brushes, and just get lost.
I find that often the answers to big questions come to you when you’re not actively thinking about them.
I read a book about Zen Buddhism, and it said that one type of zazen (meditation) is done while engaged in work, usually monotonous physical work like farming or maintenance tasks around the monastery. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we all achieve some introspection during that kind of labor.
Infrastructure deal reached:
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/senators-pitch-biden-953b-bipartisan-infrastructure-plan
Once again the Republicans prove they’re absolutely goddamn worthless.
I don’t think it will pass, but who knows, it has been a month or so since we had a good pounding from our betters.
Oh it’s passing.
The best part about these infrastructure deals is that they are nothing more than a handout to cronies and voters but don’t really do jackshit for the infrastructure. And when someone like Massie or Paul in 3-4 years asks where that money has gone, they will be derided as assholes who want bridges to fall apart and kill grandma.
I have 2 acres and a 52″ Swisher ZTR. The 3M earmuffs with FM radio make mowing a meditation for me.
Doing it over I would have gotten the next version up, which had a fabricated deck. Anything over 40″ should have a fabricated deck.
Much stronger. You are going to hit things.
Mine mows straight, but the front of the deck has bent enough so that I have to set the deck 3 notches higher to cut at the same height it did when new.
The only thing I don’t like about 3M muffs is that it always finds the button/center fabrics on a baseball cap. I have the Bluetooth version and it’s great. Use it for power tools and high noise environments as well.
Prediction: There will be a “serious” journalist somewhere who argues that the Florida building collapse, or the severity of it (number of lives lost), are somehow the fault of DeSantis’s Covid policies.
VirUs Ate sTeeL BeeMS!
“If people were properly socially distanced, there would only have been one person in the building!”
My top candidates:
– Vacationers or visiting family members who were lured to FL by the openness.
– If it was triggered by some kind of work on the building, then that work wouldn’t have been going on if they were properly locked down.
There aren’t many things the leftists love more than a pile of innocent bodies to stand upon. The tragedy and magnitude of it won’t sadden and quieten them like it should; it will attract and magnify this response.
Or more generally, it is a result of the “cowboy” policies in red states.
In the WaPo comments they are arguing that it’s the fault of Trump and DeSantis because of deregulation and wouldn’t have happened if there were enough building inspectors. The building was built in the1980s. I don’t think completed buildings get inspected again, do they?
They do – depending upon circumstances.
They do in Florida at 40 years old.
‘The building was in OK shape.’ The upscale condo near Miami Beach still collapsed
Whoops. Reminds me of a certain bridge…
So was it sturctural failure? My first thought had been sinkhole, but that doesn’t seem to be supported.
It could easily be a combination of things. The rebar that pulled out of the concrete looked awfully clean to me. Probably sub-standard concrete.
Looks like it, but 72 hour and all that.
I haven’t seen anything to buttress that argument, either.
Doesn’t look like much of anything was supported.
The WaPo commenters are a sackful of stupid that thinks electricity comes from an outlet.
The idea that they could weigh in on a structural failure issue is laughable.
https://nypost.com/2021/06/23/fbi-tears-new-yorkers-life-into-shreds-devine/
White Rage it is.
Evidence free snitchline for the win. A douchebag with an axe to grind can drop a dime and it’s off to the hoosegow with you.
As much as I would want payback on the neighbor, the FBI is the perpetrator here. They’re completely and totally out of control.
The neighbor is also to blame. He called down the FBI on Mr. Bolano. Anonymously, I am sure. Like the worthless coward he is.
Before the armed raids on his and his mother’s apartments, he gave the FBI proof that he wasn’t in the Capitol at the time (time-stamped photos from his hotel). And the scumbag judge issued a warrant anyway.
Our government is a criminal organization, and his neighbors are scum.
What a shame.
I wouldn’t cry if the camera crew woke up with horseheads.
I wouldn’t cry if anyone involved wound up facedown in a ditch.
“An NBC camera crew had been tipped off and was there to film his shame.”
I didn’t catch that little detail. Disgusting.
Bullshit, he wasn’t using tape. Fucking hell, can’t even get the facts right.
Your password for Journolist 2.0, sir.
That was not the read I wanted in the afternoon.
“ Giuliani Suspended From Practicing Law In New York”
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/giuliani-suspended-practicing-law-new-york
For making demonstrably false and misleading statements about the election.
Good, I’d like to see the demonstrations of the falsehoods, it would quiet my worry.
Cool drugs, bro!
My wife and i actually argue over who gets to mow the lawn. I find it very contemplative and relaxing.
Glad you are having fun, CA!
You enjoy arguing with your wife?? To each their own, I suppose.
/being an ass
Nice. My fault for poor sentence structure.
Good day at the range for Mrs. Dean. She unfortunately loves the Tavor; I’m now veering back to wanting one in 300 Blackout with a suppressor – the bullpup design will make the extra length of the suppressor less of a thing. But I really don’t need one and have spent plenty this year on guns and ammo. But I do like the Tavor bullpup. But I don’t need to stock another caliber. But pew pew!
She also solved one of her handgun problems – turns out she was pulling the trigger too slow and speeding up helped her accuracy.
Ammo consumption wasn’t too bad. She spent a fair amount of her rifle time zeroing it, which is a tedious process. I told her that’s why I ordered those laser boresights (backordered, of course). She really liked the 2X Trijicon I put on it, which is good because I want a different one for the M1A I took it off of.
I like hearing that your wife likes the Tavor. I have a Tavor x95 that I like.
That’s what she has. It is such a handy little thing. Ugly as could be (I’ve never seen a bullpup that wasn’t), but I do like it.
Sometimes function is form of its own.
I love this.
”She also solved one of her handgun problems – turns out she was pulling the trigger too slow and speeding up helped her accuracy.”
This right here, this is probably the number one most important lesson in practical shooting: Speed and Accuracy Have Nothing to do With One Another.
Indeed. A good grip and trigger pull should leave you pointing at your target after the recoil.
We’re planning to take the “sled”* to the County range in a week or two so she can really dial in the Tavor off a rest. We’re using what should be good ammo – RUAG “green tip” Swiss military ammo – so I’ll be very interested to see how accurate the combo is.
*Actual rest not pictured, but you get the idea.
LOL at the Prop 65 warning for the sled.
yo I just snapped-to from sleeping, 1/2 on the couch 1/2 off, and the sound of The Dozer slurping up my spilled Millers Lite
I need a hurr-cut
My grass needs cut
Bass Pro Shops Announces 2-for-1 Sale On All Nuclear Missiles
In a bit of exciting news for firearms enthusiasts and those who wish to deter their government from becoming tyrannical, Bass Pro Shops has announced that its semi-annual 2-for-1 nuke sale will be kicking off this weekend. Every nuclear weapon in the company’s arsenal will be completely free with the purchase of any other nuclear weapon.
Just in time for the 4th!
As long as they don’t sell those scary Black guns with That Thing That Goes Up I don’t think there will be an issue.
The thing about Biden’s implied threat to use nukes against Americans is that nukes are useful mostly against cities and large military installations. The former will be full of his supporters, and the latter will be under his control (barring a full-on civil war, rather than an armed insurgency). He can poop a nuke on a rural area without doing much damage (relatively speaking) to his enemies.
It’s also not very green/environmentally friendly to nuke a rural area. A city though?
Wouldn’t the nuclear winter offset the global warming, errr, climate change?
I have made that argument many times.
Pick someone you don’t want around anymore. Nuke them. AGW is gone. Two birds; one stone.
Well ok, one is greener than the other.
I had an existential crisis the last time I mowed the lawn. Mowing is done to enjoy the land without traipsing through long grass and for the admiration of on-lookers. I have neither, why the hell am I mowing?!
Mowing is done to keep rats, mice, and other vermin out of your house. That’s why people have done it for ages.
other vermin
Clear fields of fire FTW!
Even when I mow they are in my house. Useless.
Speaking of life out in the country, a California strawberry nursery owner just won a property rights case he took all the way to SCOTUS. Lame that it took this long to get rid of a shitty Cal state law that let unions trespass on farms to try and recruit members from the farm hands. Better late than never though.
https://californiaglobe.com/section-2/scotus-decision-a-victory-for-property-owners/
Apparently, the td ameritrade website does not like the brave browser. I was just on the phone with a very nice lady who was attempting to walk me through something, and the td websiteb wouldn’t co-operate.
Will have to try again with chrome, I guess.
You made me think of trying to log in to Prudential using Chrome since I’ve been using Firefox and had a bunch of trouble logging in. Now I get en error message instead of the confirmation code it doesn’t send at all.
turns out she was pulling the trigger too slow and speeding up helped her accuracy.
I fell into that trap a while back. I did some dry firing, just watching the gun. I could see the muzzle drooping as I slowly pulled the trigger.
A much crisper trigger pull fixed it.
I could see the muzzle drooping
They make pills for that, you know.
I just found out that a young lady of my acquaintance has family in the Seaside, Miami Beach building collapse. Her aunt and young cousin live on the 10th floor. Her cousin is the kid being pulled from the rubble in some tv clips. Her aunt has yet to be found.
Re: lawns – we have one; a tiny postage stamp of green but a rare treat in NYC. I mow it with a 20v cordless Black & Decker string trimmer; it takes 2 batteries and about an hour (including raking/cleanup). I pine for a huge spread that I can let grow as wild as it pleases, so as to discourage visitors.
Jesus. That’s horrible.
My condolences to her.
Yikes, sorry l0b0t. I saw that video. Scary as hell.
I too got a new Cub Cadet ZTR this year.
Love it.
I chose the Cub Cadet due to maintenance dealers in the area. I figured if I ever need warranty work done, they would be best based on what’s around for service (non-commercial anyways). The only other option that made sense for that was the Toro, but those are well sold out in this area.
They make pills for that, you know.
I just need a good target to focus on.
Q can help with that.
LOL
I have about a third of an acre – minus the house’s footprint, probably a quarter acre of lawn plus a lot of trees. A complicated layout, not an easy “mow back and forth in a straight line” deal.
I use a push mower, and water sparsely so it doesn’t need much mowing, and usually I just mow the bits that need it rather than the whole lawn.
After buying our place in 2012 I started to mow th lawn with my second hand two stroke Snapper that the self propelled part was junk. I got about a quarter of the yard done (about a third of an acre) and said screw it we’re going into town for a mower.
I love my Aerins Zoom 42. Wish the bigger nicer model had been out the.
I bought a new Toro self propelled push mower with Honda engine. I’ve had good luck with Toro’s, my last one lasted almost 19 years before it started burning oil. It takes me 90 minutes to cut my front and back yard, I kind of enjoy it – I get sense of accomplishment when its finished. I’m a yard person, I like my yard looking good so I put in the work. I planted tall fescue years ago – Jaguar is my seed brand of choice. Its tough and thick (very few weeds) and survives the summer heat with minimal watering. By the end of July is will go dormant and turn brown and crispy but after a good soaking rain it always bounces back. I set my mower on the highest setting. My neighbor does the opposite – his is set to the lowest setting and he scalps his yard down the nubs. Which is why his yard is mostly comprised of white clover, dandelions, crab grass and other assorted weeds.