So the old joke goes. And in the unlikely even that any of you out there don't know it, the punchline is, and don't get too excited: because vibrators can't mow the lawn. Anyway, vibrator or not, I was determined that I should be able to cope with the lawn here. It was the one thing that caused me most worry about being on my own. I've mown lawns before but this one is on a slope, measures about 1,200 square metres and I'd never done it here before, nor used a petrol mower.
A vast expanse of rapidly-growing grass. The lawn before mowing
All ready to start.
Half an hour in, I was hot, sticky and red-faced and the hat was disgustingly sweaty. Traversing the slope wasn't too difficult, but turning round at each end gave the mower an opportunity to glide off towards the freedom that it seemed eager to take every time. And then of course when the grass holder was full the compost heap was located right at the top of the slope - by the vegetable patch - which necessitated a long trek up there to dump the grass. Carrying on, I realised that a sun top and shorts is definitely not the best gear to be wearing to cut an insect-filled lawn and swore each time one of the litte buggers decided I'd be a tasty snack.
Traditional hay making - I stop for a break but the neighbours carry on
And blow me if, 90 minutes after I'd started, I had the whole lawn mown and looking rather snazzy. I rather surprised myself.
After several more glasses of water I celebrated with a tasty dinner and a few glasses of wine. I felt it was the least I'd earnt. Since that first attempt I've attacked the lawn twice more, with gusto, and come out the winner each time. The Beast still tries it on every now and again but I now feel fit and capable enough to show it who's boss.
A vast expanse of rapidly-growing grass. The lawn before mowing
This is the means I have of cutting it. A heavy petrol mower, with powered wheels, which I have recently named The Beast.
A brief practice several months ago left me worried about being carried away by it, down the hill, causing in havoc in neighbouring vegetable patches as I went, so I approached the machine with some trepidation the first time it came to my mowing the lawn on my own. Sunny evening as it was, I donned my Australian-army-issue reversible sun hat and sturdy walking boots, pulled on my gardening gloves and got down to work. I decided to allocate myself two hours to get as much of the task done as I could, seeing as it was my first time, and then complete it another day.
All ready to start.Half an hour in, I was hot, sticky and red-faced and the hat was disgustingly sweaty. Traversing the slope wasn't too difficult, but turning round at each end gave the mower an opportunity to glide off towards the freedom that it seemed eager to take every time. And then of course when the grass holder was full the compost heap was located right at the top of the slope - by the vegetable patch - which necessitated a long trek up there to dump the grass. Carrying on, I realised that a sun top and shorts is definitely not the best gear to be wearing to cut an insect-filled lawn and swore each time one of the litte buggers decided I'd be a tasty snack.
However, I'm not the sort to be easily deterred. Besides my two hours weren't up so I had to keep going. If I gave up the first time round I'd never make it. Also the neighbours were out and about and I wasn't going to let them think that I was some weak little woman who couldn't cope on her own. Rural Spain still has to catch up somewhat on the sexual equality front and I was determined to do my little bit to help. So, after a brief rest to catch my breath and down a pint of water I went on.
Traditional hay making - I stop for a break but the neighbours carry on
The finished product
After several more glasses of water I celebrated with a tasty dinner and a few glasses of wine. I felt it was the least I'd earnt. Since that first attempt I've attacked the lawn twice more, with gusto, and come out the winner each time. The Beast still tries it on every now and again but I now feel fit and capable enough to show it who's boss.
13 comments:
Well done Raelha and I do think you look very fetching wearing that hat at such a jaunty angle!
I always do the mowing because quite frankly Peter can't be trusted not to break it! It is a petrol mower too but I really love it. Mind you my lawn is flat!
I think the secret is to do it often. I try to mow every four to five days in full growing season then there is less emptying to do and it is easier to cut short grass. Longer grass keeps wet so it does pay to do it often.
Anyway, good for you. I hope the cats stayed out of the way of runaway Beasts!
Woweeee! Another point for us girls, well done! Not just on the lawn-mowing endeavour, but on tackling a foreign machine and coming out winning. And it's ALWAYS awesome to be better than you thought you would be.
Soon you'll be getting finicky about the quality of your work :-)
Good for you! You did have your work cut out for you - cutting grass on a slope is hard (hard) work.
Yay for you! Yay for women! You show those rural Spainards!!!
THanks everyone, Lorenzo - every 4/5 days! I understand what you mean but I'm not sure I have the time to do it that often, even though it would be quicker. Every two weeks is what I'm managing so far. I'll try and cut it down a bit if I can. So you do all the mowing eh? What was it you were saying before aboutcoming to help?!
jls, yes it is good to realise you're better at something that you thought you would be, although it was partly that I'd been told the taks was difficult before and I'd have trouble managing it on my own. As long as you have a bit of muscle in your arms and legs, it's not actually too bad. The worst part is getting it started the first time if it's feeling contrary and you have to yank the starter cable so many times to get it going that your arm aches and aches and aches.
Melody thanks too. I feel like I have my own personal cheerleader!
One last thing, I hope I haven't scared away my male visitors with this post. I in no way meant to imply that I'm any better at mowing the lawn than a man (nor that vibrators are preferable to the real thing), just that women are capable of doing to too. Should any male friends wish to visit I'd happily let them have a session with The Beast - it'd give me time to get the strimmer out and do all those bits I can't get to with the mower.
Hi R. Thanks for the comment. It seems we've both needed a bit of time out.
I really relate to this post. When my husband left me with our five children, way back in 1995, one of the things that really pissed me off was having to mow an acre of lawn every week. Let me tell you I took out a great deal of angst pushing the petrol mower up and down on sweltering Massachusetts afternoons. I guess it was therapeutic! Then of course it became winter and getting up at 6am on snowy mornings, to dig out our lengthy uphill driveway in order to drive the kids to school.... waaaah! Fortunately we had a friend with a snow ploughing business who took pity on me and would clear mine for free. He was also great eye candy on miserable mornings!
Hi Raelha, hanging on ok? Torteshall and co. are coming here on Monday!
I have just pruned a yew tree to buggery and am afraid of what Peter will say when he comes back from the weekend!
Interesting blog, Raelha, especially the technical words and insight into the female world in Asturias.
However, being a bit limited in my vocabulary - and experience ... Er, I don't know how to say this.
It's a bit embarrassing ...
Er ... What's a lawnmower?
Oh I know what you mean about getting it started Raelha. I always had to get Mum to start the mower for me when it was my turn to do the lawns as a kid. And I always kept on until it ran out of petrol, then Mum would 'hit the roof' because it's twice as hard to start again after that.
I do the lawns at my flat with a weedeater (cos it's not really a lawn) while my two male flatmates laze about in the lounge.
The Tortoiseshells came for a couple of days. Their piccies are now on my blog!
Ooh, more comments. Thank you all.
Rob, if you'd care to come visit I'll give you a thorough education in lawnmowers. If you can persuade the llama to come along I'm sure she'd be able to teach you a thing or two on top of that - she has more experience that I do.
Mags, no eye candy here, just several aging neighbours. A good job too, the slightest loss of concentration and the beast would be away down the hill.
I had another session on Monday and found myself talking to the mower. Telling it that it had just one more row of the lawn left to do before it could slumber in the shed for another 10 or so days worked wonders for getting it started again after a pause. Swearing, I've discovered, works not at all.
Watcha and welcome back. I've been gone too as summer ha been tiring enough and even writing about it seems beyond the call of reasonable expectations of blog-duty.
However, the shed is 80% finished with inclement weather and snags have been the main hinderances to it's completion.
Photos and posting will be forthcoming.
In the mean time, here is some incidental music.
Ta da de dum dahh
Da dee dah de dum di doo doo
(poddley ping twa da diddly)
Ta da de dum dahh
Da dee dah de dum di doo doo
(Wah wah wah wa wa wa wah waahhh)
Sing along, everybody knows this one.
That beast doesn't look so bad. I've seen mowers ten times the size that I've manoeuvred up and down a completely vertical lawn with one finger, and programmed my mobile phone with the other hand whilst reciting Tennyson.
Seriously though, the lawn looks nice and you look like an Australian adventurer or an Army Ranger with that hat (meant as a good thing). The only thing that makes me itch vicariously is your admission of wearing shorts instead of pants... I'm fairly allergic to many types of grasses and also I know just what you mean about debris and insects, especially when the grass is long to begin with. It just blasts your bare legs.
I'm itching me pegs at this very moment, in fact.
Also, I hope you wore sunscreen. I just watched a programme about cancer and the skin cancer part opened my eyes a bit. I used to love sitting out for hours getting a tan, or going on all-day hikes without sunscreen, because I tend not to burn but just get really dark. But after seeing what all those UV rays do at the cellular level cumulatively over time, I'm going to be a bit more circumspect in the future.
Bah, I think I do very well maneouvering it up and down the slope, in trousers now, and a t-shirt, I learnt quickly.
No sunscreen. I would´ve sweated it all off in minutes anyway. I´ll be sensible and wear it the next time it´s sunny though
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