Going Retro

The last time Wally and I mowed the backyard we did it with a gas mower. Wally had just finished when it ran out of gas and the gas tank we use to refill with was out as well. At the apartments we use to mow the strip of grass on the parkway. We bought a hand mower at Sears for eighty bucks. It worked great but during the course of this last year we have gardeners to maintain Rossmore.

I picked up the push mower we had stored there on our last visit to clean the hallways and water. I put it in the garage and today we used it here in our backyard. It was great exercise for Wally and he enjoyed pushing the mower. I used it to finish up what he missed and there wasn't any gas to buy or a back-sprain from trying to start the gas one. We may never go back.

Now the weed-whacker is electric, the gas one was taken from the alley in ten minutes two weeks ago. Good luck if they use it, whoever picked it up needs prayer to start the damned thing. The electric does a much better job, it's stronger, lighter and could skin a buffalo in ten minutes.

We have the patio all set for the warm weather coming up. Brunch with friends Sunday with the papers and good weather and then a barbecue in the afternoon. A tri-tip I took from the freezer. I'll smoke it with a rub to the tri-tip. I read a tip on rubs. When you have meat, use regular mustard to coat the meat before the putting on the rub. It doesn't effect the taste but does keep the rub and smoke on the meat. I'll let you know if it works.

The garden is really looking good. The primrose look like something from a 3-D movie. The white iris are just about to bloom and the vegetable garden is getting real pretty. To me, there is nothing as nice as a well maintained, working vegetable garden. I have a flat of beans, and different tomatoes planted in seed I'm waiting on to sprout. I saw the first sprigs of basil coming up today where I seeded in the garden and I'll be planting the South-forty soon from the flat. The girls had their coop cleaned out and fresh straw put down, now that the monsoon ended. I hope it ended.

This time of year is kind of special, the beginning of Spring and the Awakening. Even the heavens look fresh and clean. Let Earth Mother heal.