Guess What? The Grass IS Really Greener...

Yesterday was my second day off this week...something I haven't had in over twelve years and was a therapeutic day for myself.

I worked in the yards from noon til dark and nothing makes me feel better than to see my handiwork at the end of the day. My next door neighbors are retired and off gallivanting in Florida with all the other retirees...so I cut their yards for them.

I moved on to my own yard
and cut the front and sides...going over it with my trusty weed eater to make it nice and neat.

Put some more gas in my boyfriend "John Dear" as I call him and trucked to the front of the sub division to cut the entrance.

I was through with one side of the street when I moved over to the other side. I smelled burning grass and attributed it to some neighbor burning leaves from Winter. I didn't see the usual smoke cloud in the air but as it got stronger and stronger I turned around to look noticing it was coming from the back of my "Honey." That would be "John Dear.'

I love my mower but don't clean it off regularly or hose it off when I get through cutting.

From all the cutting I had done, grass clippings were built up around the tailpipe and I had myself a small grass fire going around my tail pipe.

CRAP!

I jumped off and tried to blow the smoldering fire out... NOT A GOOD IDEA.

The flame fanned and started to grow.

I tried to pull the grass out with my fingers but after burning off all my fingerprints I searched quickly for a small stick before my gas tank (recently filled) ignited.

The first small stick broke off and added fuel to the fire. Luckily the second one was smaller and I scraped out all the dead grass and put the fire out with my flip flop. After looking around to make sure none of the neighbors were video taping me...I hopped back on and cut the other side of the entrance.

The problem with this second side is that the house right next to it likes to cut their yard twice a year and it wasn't due for another cutting til the dog days of August. I mean where do I end the entrance cutting to make it look nice and trim when their yard which sits next to the entrance is a foot high and looks like a field of Dandelions and Clovers?

Problem solved. I just cut their front yard for them.

I was about 3/4 of the way through when the "Vampire" wife (as Massey calls her) came out with that cigarette that is always velcroed to her fingers and watched me for a good five minutes before giving me the 'Time Out" signal. You know, One hand bouncing perpendicular on top of the other telling me to stop and cut my engine.

Massey swears this family, who is relatively new to the neighborhood are vampires and after agreeing to feed their cat when they went home for Thanksgiving (turned out it was seven cats and just a creepy place on the inside.) They are pale as crap and even though I have a pretty good tan, they make me look like one of the "Jeffersons."

You can dig back in my blog to read about them but my point is...I was busy...busy cutting their yard and didn't have TIME for a time out.

I cut my blade and engine off and she came smoldering over with her Marlboro to hug my neck. Thank the Lord I had eaten at my restaurant the night before and still reeked of garlic!

I told her I was cutting the front anyway and to just consider it a small present from me. I think that is a better present than a wooden stake through her heart.

About that time her son , who looks like he would be on" Team Jacob" in the middle of his transformation into a werewolf got off the school bus and lumbered down the driveway with a grimace on his face. I cranked my mower back up and shouted to him "Tell your dad YOU cut it!"

No smile, no wave...but at least he didn't attack me.

I finished as quickly as I could and put the mower in gear five and scooted back down the street to the safety of my OWN coven.

Living in a subdivision is a bizarre thing...you meet all kinds and sometimes meet no one at all...even after fourteen years.

Back home in my "Safety Zone" I cut my own back yard and let my dogs out to play. They really seem to appreciate a freshly mowed yard and once my husband came out back to admire the yard, you know where the two males headed...to that stupid branch they have been consumed with as of late.

A different day but the same ole branch amused them for at least thirty minutes.

I have included pics of my yard (I am a PROUD grass cutter) and a nice profile pic of my boyfriend "John."

As a parting shot I have included another video of my two male dogs giving that branch a good jumping at and giving me a good laugh at the end of a long but satisfying day.

My new job is going great, I screw up sometimes but am getting more proficient every day and thanking the Lord every night that He has led me there.

Enjoy my pictures and know how grateful I am that my life has been so blessed after it has gone through so many trials.

God is good...and He has been my Saviour...Literally.

I Pray for the vampires too and that I don't find them hanging upside down in my garage when I come home from work one night.

As always...click on the pictures for a closer view !!

Til next time...COTTON with a smile (Geez it feels good to write those words.)