Zero-Turn Fun

Hubby recently had an errand in a neighboring county.  He asked if I wanted to "ride along".  "Ride alongs" are about my favorite thing.  It gives us a chance to catch up and I get to see some of the pretty views outside of other people's kitchen windows.  We were chatting and enjoying the sights when I suddenly exclaimed, "Wow!  I sure don't want to live there!"  Perplexed, Hubby obligingly looked at the lovely home surrounded by a large perfectly manicured yard.  "Why not?" he inquired, intrigued to discover my reasoning (or lack of it). 

"Look at that yard!"  I demanded.

 "OK", he replied, looking closely at the yard, mowed to perfection in a lovely plaid pattern.  "What's the problem?" 

"I would be a complete basket case trying to keep it mowed in those meticulous straight lines crossing at perfect angles where everyone can see it!",  I declared.  "Thank goodness a straight line is an impossibility in our yard!"

You see, I am the yard mower.  I'm not particularly good at it but I would sure rather mow a yard than a hay field.  So, my job is the yard.  When we first moved to the farm we had an old tractor style riding mower.  I hated it!  I was constantly running over flowers, toys, and even small trees because I just couldn't think fast enough to slow down before I ground them up.  All my flower beds were designed so I could mow in a gradual sweep around them to keep from chopping up all the landscaping or having to stop and back up.  I hung that mower under our plank fence on a regular basis because I wouldn't get stopped in time to keep from sliding under it.  In short I was a hazard.

So to preserve my flowers, provide peace and keep me mowing, Hubby bought me my first zero-turn mower.  It was lovely to handle, responding with a touch, easing around trees, creeping around flowers, speeding up or slowing down with a simple change in pressure.  Peace was restored.

The thing about zero-turn mowers is that you use two levers to control your speed, and direction.  Pushed together they go forward, pulled back together they go backward, push one hand or the other forward or back to make turns.  It took a little practice, but soon I was scooting around the yard with glee.  The only problem is that you have to keep both hands on the levers at all times.

Our first mower came equipped with two nice cup holders.  I spent the whole summer trying to figure out how anyone could take a drink without mowing in circles. (I never got up enough nerve to try it.)  Because I have a hard time with this concept,  I am constantly mowing in swerves and swoops.  A bug annoys me and I forget and swat at it...opps swerve to the left.  My sun visor needs adjusting....opps, swerve to the right.  A limb needs to be held aside...disaster!  So, my mowing, while it gets the job done, is not picture perfect.

Fortunately, there are so many bushes, trees, flower beds, buildings, and other impediments in our yard that mowing in anything other than circles, curves, sections, and strips is impossible.  It's also fortunate that since we are on a hill, to see my pattern you would have to fly over us.  So I just swoop, curve, zig and zag happily around all the obstacles with no concern over creating a lovely plaid in my yard. 

Although, I think I might be creating a nice paisley.