Springtime Lawn Style. . .

The front yard yesterday just post-mowing.  Must touch up the edges on that circular flowerbed mid-right, which will be filled with Black-eyed Susans once they emerge more fully and bloom.

And the backyard this morning just before the rains came.  Even with the morning dew, the cutting and mulching worked well.  Sure beats long swathes of cut grass that need to be raked up and/or stopping to empty heavy bags of clippings every ten minutes or so.

What?  You didn't know that I have a secret identity?  Yes, that's right.  During the school year, I am an outwardly mild-mannered, inwardly tormented, and sometimes scornful so-and-so.  During the late springs and summers, however, I slip off the leather dress shoes, hang up my suits, sports jackets, and neckties to become (Da-da-da-dah!!!) . . .  Lawn Boy!  

Acclimatizing myself to our new walk-behind lawnmower the last couple of days here at Totleigh-in-the-Wold (tongue firmly in cheek, you understand).  A self-propelled Toro with mulching function, 30" cutting deck, and not too steep a learning curve, which speeds things along considerably.  It still takes about two hours before everything is trimmed, but that's still much less time than with the old 19" Craftsman.  It served us well in Illinois, but the houses were much closer together in Bloomington, and the yards much smaller.

For the first three summers in our house here in Mid-Michigan, we have employed a local lawn service to cut the grass twice or three times a month.  They did pretty well, but never came often enough, especially in May-June, we always had to call or text to get them over here, and there were invariably missed spots, or other problems after each visit.  Plus, the monthly rates kept rising.  I finally concluded that it would make better sense to resume my lawn care duties and began researching larger mowers late last summer.  

Hence the recent purchase, which arrived the other day.  It should make things easier and help to give the area around our place a more finished, manicured appearance.  Yes, yes. I know.  Extremely shallow of me.  I'm so ashamed. 

-- Heinz-Ulrich