I've been on a mission for the past week: To cut back the, by now, ridiculously high weeds and grass on the southwest side of the house. When Rachael was here, she did most of the front yard and a section by the road before the lawnmower ran out of juice. I don't know what I would have done without her help. My husband will be here this weekend and I hope he can do some weed whacking at the back of the house while he is here. He has no idea of what I have accomplished this week, but I'll tell him before he comes up. It was one of those things where I thought he wouldn't want me to do anything for fear I would hurt my shoulder or ruin the healing process. Or he would worry.
Last week, I saw a reminder in the local paper:
This said that on June 9, the county fire department would begin their checks of rural properties for compliance with fire safety standards. It also said that altitudes above 4,000 feet were not critical on June 9, so they would start checking at the lower elevations. (We are at 4,141 feet per Google Earth)
(California fire safety standards require that rural lots are mowed to stubble within 30 feet of a home and that fuel matter is reduced for the next 70 feet. Tree limbs should be cut to four to six feet from the ground.) 
Looking at my yard on June 9, this is a small portion of what I saw. The grass definitely had started to turn yellow.
No stubble here. With no help in sight, I decided to charge up my electric lawnmower and see what I could do.
This good old Craftsman and I worked for about half an hour most mornings this past week, cutting back the tall weeds, something I had thought I perhaps couldn't/shouldn't do with my broken shoulder. But I love to mow and had been itching to get out there. So I thought I would try…doing a little and resting a lot. I used my right arm and my stomach to push and it went OK.
By June 15, I had cleared 30 feet and more, maybe 50 feet of the very tall weeds on the southwest side of the house and mowed the shorter grass in the front yard that Rachael mowed when she was up here.
I took these pictures in the evening because the shadows were so strong in the morning. Looking at all that I did, made me feel both satisfied and proud…hence the bragging alert of the post title. Yeah! I did all that, kind of thing! It hasn't hurt me physically and it certainly has given me peace of mind. I'm not afraid of anything here, except fires. (And, of course, my new fear of tripping over dogs.)
Nice job, Inger! That's a lot of mowing. Are there a lot of brush fires there? We had one yesterday near here but it was put under control in a few hours. Whew!
ReplyDeleteGood Job, Inger! If you are not hurting your shoulder.... go for whatever you are comfortable with. I would be terrified of fire hazard!
ReplyDeleteWhen you have an injury or handicapped in some way, a person can usually figure out ways nto get things done!
Holy cow you accomplished a lot!!! Looks great. We have about the same fire restrictions here as you do. Thankfully with the help of the donkeys getting it 'mowed' was pretty easy.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you are healing well. Good!
Hugs.
After you are done there, can you come do my yard? I hate to mow. That's why, even though I'm perfectly healthy and capable of doing the job, I hire the young man from next door to do it.
ReplyDeleteJabacue: No fires in the canyon for a long time, but there are always a couple in the general area every summer.
ReplyDeleteSharon: You are so right about figuring out how to do things in a new way.
AJ-Oaks: With all the rain in OR, you still seem to have many more fires close by than we do.
Louise: I would love to come to your yard, it looks so green and pretty!
Wow, nice job...when are you gonna do mine?
ReplyDeleteWhat a HUGE job you did! Just what you can do when you are all fine?? Congratulations on the big achievement:)
ReplyDeleteTina: The good thing about mowing here is that you only need to do it once or twice per year. Then it gets to be desert here and the grass dries out until next year.
ReplyDeleteSandra: Thanks -- since I'm so alone here, it feels great to get a pat on the back. No more bragging though.
Nice work, Inger!! Using your stomach to mow the lawn, though, now that's something I'd never heard before! Just think of the ab muscles you're developing. You'll have a six-pack in no time!! :-)
ReplyDeleteYour place looks beautiful. I live in the Blue Ridge mountains, on a mountain top and my buildings are completely closed in by trees. I do have a one acre meadow that I keep mowed, so I can sympathize with the need to keep things squared away. The best thing about your pictures is how open your property is, and how far you can see!
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