Simple living in the country - back to basics

Karmacat

We find ourselves doing all sorts of things we never envisaged!  I'm really glad the harness helped  

Ramouth

We have a tiny lawn (5m x 5m perhaps?) but I am rubbish at mowing it.  I think it is partly that it takes longer to get the mower out and put it away then it does to do the mowing.  So I leave it to get too long and then have to cut it with shears!

Perhaps a strimmer is the answer?  Is there any control for how long it leaves the grass?  I am concerned about getting carried away and ending up with bald patches.

themadvix

There is absolutely nothing wrong with your mood being lifted by the grass being cut - it doesn't matter if it's still higgledy piggledy or full of dandelions (dandelions are great!), it makes the world seem brighter (and the space seem bigger) - enjoy!

Cheery_Daff

Ramouth said:

We have a tiny lawn (5m x 5m perhaps?) but I am rubbish at mowing it.  I think it is partly that it takes longer to get the mower out and put it away then it does to do the mowing.  So I leave it to get too long and then have to cut it with shears!

Perhaps a strimmer is the answer?  Is there any control for how long it leaves the grass?  I am concerned about getting carried away and ending up with bald patches.

Aw, bless you all for making me feel better! 

You do have some control with a strimmer, but I do find myself with frequent bald patches... it's certainly nowhere near the level of height control of a mower- entirely relies on you holding at the right height. It's probably a lot less faff than a mower though!

When we first moved here I bought a push along mower 😂😂😂 Goodness knows what I was thinking 😂😂 it's dead easy to get out of the shed though, and if I had a small, flat lawn, I'd be using it all the time. Sadly that does NOT in any way describe my lawn...

Cheery_Daff

Here's my pristine lawn 😁😁 Veg patch behind the fence on the left, almost-a-willow-dome on the right, and you can see all the dandelions where I'm leaving a big bit to grow long and meadowy - I usually scythe that bit at the end of the summer.

themadvix

It looks beautiful Cheery - and a lawn with a view too! The weather looks much nicer with you than it does here today - I'm packing tea stuff for my friend and I at the allotment, but thinking we may yet come back here for a cuppa - no sun and the wind is a bit vicious!

Cheery_Daff

I do like that view Oddly enough, I rarely go and sit on that bench... There's a swing seat closer to the house (and more sheltered) with a similar view - not quite as uninterrupted, but you do get to swing... The wind is pretty vicious here today too - hence why I'm back inside the house rather than taking advantage of the bench! 

Cheery_Daff

YAWN.

No sign of tool hire guy. Sigh. He said 3-4pm. Just rang the office, since they shut at 5. Apparently he left 'about half 3' (it takes about an hour and a half so he was never going to get here for 4!) and was probably stuck in traffic. Only coming to me, shouldn't be long. Can't give me his phone number, but he's got mine.

Won't be holding my breath. What an absolute shower 🙄

Doing the whole bloody field by hand with my scythe next year, !!!!!!!

themadvix

Oh Cheery! How unbelievably annoying. What an absolutely useless company. How do they stay in business?!

Cheery_Daff

Goodness knows! Probably by hiring out straightforward tools to people who will go and collect them 😂😂

Anyway, he eventually turned up at 5, and I made a video of him giving me the instructions 😂😂 Gosh it's a beast 😮 Very clunky, VERY heavy, got a tight dead man's handle thing that I've got to grip with my left hand til it stops, and it drives like a tanker, have to start turning it about half a mile before the edge of the field 😮😮

Managed ten minutes of wrestling before Mr Cheery got home and now I'm having a sit down and a cuppa to recover.

Probably a good thing I've got it for the whole weekend at this rate 😂😂😂

On the plus side it's got quite a lot of petrol in it so I might not have to use much of mine!