Another mowing season starts

Well, this was the first Saturday we've had for quite a spell with no rain, it was beautiful outside today! So, being a person who just loves to cut grass, yeah right, I sat about getting the Cub Cadet started so I could tame the jungle.

Hooked up the battery charger last night for a couple of hours and then again this morning while mom and I ran some errands in Madison. After lunch I went out to check and the battery was fully charged. Hit the key and pulled the choke full on. After a few cranks, the ol' girl started spitting and sputtering before finally smoothing out a bit.

It was not running smooth enough to allow for engaging the blades so I decided some fresh gas might be just what the doctor ordered. Went down to the local Shell station and put about $10.00 worth of premium in the can.

It only took about 1/4 of the can to fill it up, so a little fresh gas was better than none. Fired it back up and moved it out to the sidewalk to see how the tires held up over the winter months. Only one on the front was low, so I used my little 12 volt compressor and filled it up to about 25 lbs.

By this time the mower was running pretty good so I decided it was time for the ultimate test. Set the throttle to max and pulled the blade engage lever. After an initial belt squeal, the blades started rotating and it was time to mow!

Unfortunately, about 10 feet into mowing the mower started to spit and sputter again and it was then I realized I had forgotten to push the choke completely in. Once I did that it ran smoothly and off we went, like a herd of turtles in a hail storm!

I sat the blades fairly high for the first mowing as the grass was pretty tall and still somewhat damp from all of the rain we have had here, but overall it worked out pretty well. The grass is once again mostly the same height and the mower seem to cruise right through with no major problems.

It's always amazing to me the things I find in my yard when I cut the grass for the first time each year. This year's list is no exception as I found what can only be described as a curtain rod, a broken purple plastic mixing bowl, a plastic playground style ball, still inflated, numerous plastic soda bottles and cups, and a half full bottle of lite beer. I can only assume this is what comes from living across from a church.

This list doesn't include the many large and small branches and such which have fallen from the higher than usual winds we have had this spring, as well as the items I left in the yard from working on the Buick last year. But I managed to complete my task with no damage to the mower deck, which is always a good thing.

I bought oil and a filter to change the oil, but when I checked the level the oil didn't look that bad so I figured one more mow on the old oil couldn't hurt. I will change it before mowing again however. This is the 4th or 5th year on the original battery, so I figure that will surely have to be replaced before the next season.

All in all I was happy with the first mow, but I'm sure I will be tired of mowing by the end of the season as I usually am...

Is it ever gonna end?

Of course I'm speaking of the rain, seems we've had more than our fair share during the month of April. Plus the period of most rainfall has happened during the weekends, which makes the warmer temps seemingly go to waste as you can't get out to do anything!

Just looking at the 7 day forecast, it seems next weekend is predicted to be dry, but of course that has happened before, only to change later on in the week. Sometimes I think they are lucky to know what it's gonna do a few hours from now, much less a week away.

I had to laugh at what my doctor said during my visit with him on Friday, but he told me that whatever I was doing diet-wise, to keep it up as my vital stats just couldn't be better. If he only knew. I told my mother this and she had a good laugh over it.

At least he did take my concerns about my knee seriously this time and I have an order to get an X-ray at the hospital sometime in the near future. I told him I would be retiring in the next 2.5 years and wanted to get something done while I know I still have insurance. Don't know what the future will bring.

Well, I thought maybe the rain was over, but I just heard more rumblings of thunder, so perhaps I was wrong. Oh well, Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, but I did that yesterday, so no telling what I will get into today!

Another one bites the dust

Here it is Sunday already and I really haven't done anything this weekend. I have to get out of this ritual and start doing something on the weekends. I sit around and stare at this screen, just waiting for something exciting to happen, and it never does.

Of course the rain Saturday put a damper on going outside, at least while it was raining, but I have a bunch of inside projects I need to do but haven't done yet. If someone finds a cure for laziness, please send it my way!