Category Archives: lawn order

I Blog and I Brag

Posted on August 3, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

Before I succumbed to my propensity to swoon, dramatically posed with the back of one wrist to my forehead (and I can’t believe I spelled “succumbed” right on the first try), I did a couple of useful things. I did the dishes, no small feat, but more importantly, I fought the lawn. The amazing thing was, I started the power mower by myself on the first try. Please do not belittle my accomplishment (you know who you are); this is a big deal.

First I had a go at cutting down the last of the tall growth on my front lawn. Alas that I did not take a “before” picture, but the “after picture” would not have been so beautiful anyways. Lots of bending and straightening, ugh! And all I can think of is the old lady we used to drive by in Rome sometimes when I was a little girl. She would be outside in her nightgown and robe, bent over, pulling up weeds, and my Dad would whistle at her. We referred to her as “Dad’s girlfriend.” I feel certain there is a young family which drives by me and derives similar amusement from the sight of my posterior. Then again, if I can have any small part in spreading joy, that is not a bad thing.

Lots of blooms!

I put in the picture there to break up the prose, but I took it after I had finished everything. Since I am putting things out of order, I guess that makes this a Non-Sequitur Sunday as well. Anyways, after I had clipped and pulled as much as I had a mind to, I got out the lawn mower, topped off the gas, checked the oil, and brought it out front, completely willing to flag down a passer-by and play the old lady widow card. I primed the engine five times instead of the recommended three. Imagine my delight when the first pull yielded the desired result.

I did the front lawn, even making an attempt at the side of the house. The back was not looking so bad, but I had at it anyways. After mowing, I took the clippers to the invasive wild grapevines. There I met with less success. For one reason, I was awfully tired by then. Still, I was proud of myself for my efforts. I posed a couple of times, both fists in the air, looking triumphant. Alas, there were no neighbors or passers-by to see. So I brag to my blog readers.

I feel certain other people have overcome greater obstacles and accomplished larger triumphs. I applaud you, of course. In the meantime, I have over 400 words of a Wrist to Forehead Sunday post. I think I am doing OK.

Fought the Lawn, Fought the Deck, What Next?

Posted on July 6, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I got out early in hopes of making a Lawn Order post instead of my usual Wrist to Forehead Sunday blog post. Well, fighting the lawn (and the lawn won) did cause me to swoon, dramatically posed with the back of one wrist to my forehead, but I felt I got something done, so I took a few pictures and I will attempt to make a blog post recounting my adventures.

No, really, this IS the “after” picture.

I maybe should have taken a “before” picture. I spent some ten minutes yesterday and a little bit longer today with clippers, chopping away at dead daisies and past their prime peonies (I made up the alliterative titles while I worked) while trying to let the purple flowers live. There was a insidious invasive species I tried to do away with as well. One sprig of purple blooms ended up in my green waste container, but I clipped it with a pair of scissors and it now resides in a bud vase in my living room. Sorry there is no picture of it, but my living room is quite cluttered. I hope to fight that mess to a standstill as the week progresses.

Not party ready yet, but getting there!

After puffing and panting out front (bending and straightening is not fun for my age and weight) (yes, I KNOW I can do something about the latter, I’m trying, but these things take time, give me a break!) (you know who you are), I went out back to my deck. There were still leaves on it from last fall, which I know is extremely harmful to the wood. I huffed and puffed first with a rake then with a broom. I feel I met with some success.

Luna, the dog next door, came out on her back porch and barked at me. There were no balls handy for me to throw for her, as I explained to her. She watched me work for a while, making sad noises from time to time but in general acquiescing in my refusal to play with her. I felt bad, but there is only so much an old lady like me can do, after all. Quite frankly, if there had been a ball handy I might have thrown it a few times and let some of the leaves go hang, but we’ll never know.

Yes I know the lawn needs mowing.

Three containers is the most we can leave out. Also, they don’t like stuff to stick up over the top of the containers. So I felt I was in compliance. I went back in the house and like any normal person got on the internet for a while. After scrolling around, I noticed some weird brown puffy things on my shirt. Oh dear. This is what happens when you don’t get into the shower right away. It was awkward to get a picture of the shirt (I do like to document these things), but luckily there were some on my socks.

It’s an old pair of sneakers.

This is turning out to be a long blog post. Isn’t that nice? Maybe I should try to write a few other things. Maybe that novel I keep talking about. I’ll let you know how that turns out. Maybe a horror novel about invasive species and little brown puffy things who terrorize old ladies who just want to have parties on their decks. What do you think?

At Least I’m Not Pushing Up Daisies

Posted on May 21, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I was just looking back over past “lawn order” postings since I thought to do one today. It is that or a Throwback Thursday. Personally I am leaning towards the Throwback Thursday, because a Lawn Order post (do I really have that as a category? Too lazy to check right now) can only make me look bad. I have not taken any pictures, which will really make me look bad (cue unkind jokes about how most pictures of me are bad) (you know who you are).

I do not recall if I mentioned it in a blog post (and having already looked over past posts I do not want to check), but last fall my lawn mower pooped out on the last mow of the season. It would start but not continue running. I said to heck with it (only I didn’t say “heck”), put it in the garage, mowed with the non-power mower, and basically just forgot about it. I am irresponsible like that. Then when spring got here, I kept hearing No Mow May. Who am I to argue? Also, I had other things on my mind.

Back when I used to do a good job mowing my lawn.

I throw in a picture from May 2020, just to pep up the post. I got some advice from several sources, then consulted Collis Hardware, who suggested I bring the mower down there and let them fix it. What a great idea! I walked my mower on down. Unfortunately, I should have done it much earlier in the season, because it may be a couple of weeks before I hear from them.

In the meantime, it has been raining, and my grass has been growing. One year, when Steven was still alive but sick, we had let the grass get quite out of hand. At this time I was incapable of starting the power mower but managed with great effort to get the front lawn done with the non-power mower. I got a neighbor to start the power mower to do the back.

Now, regular readers may recall that beginning at the end of April, I have this mysterious pain going on in my leg, rendering prolonged standing, walking, or running difficult. This is one of the things on my mind that made No Mow May seem so attractive. However, I believe there are village codes to consider, so yesterday and today, I have had at my front lawn with the non-power mower, clippers, and determination. The results were… well, it looks as if I made an effort.

Please don’t eat the daisies.

This is actually a picture from June a couple years ago. There will probably be as many daisies soon. Right now there are copious forget-me-nots, which I will try to get a picture of soon. Right now I am still resting my leg from my exertions and hope this rather lengthy (for me) blog post has not been too boring and whiny.

Maybe I give it a punchy headline and bill it as a Non-Sequitur Thursday.

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Posted in humor, lawn order, Non Sequitur Thursday, personal and tagged blog post, blogging, Collis Hardware, Collis TruValue Hardware, front lawn, lawn mower, non-power mower, power mower. Bookmark the permalink.

No Mo’ No Mow!

Posted on May 15, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

I guess it is time to start Lawn Order posts again. Strange that I never made that a category or at least a tag; it is one of my favorite puns, right up there with, “I fought the lawn, and the lawn won” (I know you sang it; I did). Full disclosure: I am going to illustrate this with pictures from my Media Library, because it is really not worth taking pictures of what I accomplished. Did I win out over the lawn, you are perhaps asking? I am going to say I did. At least I acquitted myself well in this skirmish, with some help.

The grass was more grown in.

There was a lot more and longer grass in my front and back yards than in this picture, because I had not mowed yet this year. Eric Gage of WKTV Weather said it was No Mow May. At first I thought he said, “No Mo’ May” and we were skipping right to June, but he meant we should let things grow for the sake of pollinators. I suppose this is all very well for people who are able to start their power mowers. For those of us who use a non-power mower as a back-up, waiting till almost halfway through the month was not a good plan.

Yesterday (Tuesday) I hauled out the power mower and tried to start it to no avail. I took the non-power job and tried that. Oh dear. I am not a young woman, and I never was a very strong woman. I gave it up. I tried again today, this time bringing a little more determination to the endeavor. Again, there was no starting the power mower. I took a deep breath and went to work with the other one. Let me tell you, determination will only get you so far. I almost gave up three or four times but encouraged myself by what I had accomplished so far. In point of fact, it did not really look that good: more grass was flattened than cut, but sometimes I have to take what I can get.

Then I heard the blessed sound of somebody else’s power mower. It was a neighbor across the street who had once offered his help in shoveling snow. I pulled my mower across the street and asked his help. A couple of tries and success! I was on my way! I got the front done! I got the back done! I’m afraid I mowed down some flowers, but you’ll have that. I can always plant new ones if the others don’t come back.

Preview of Coming Attractions.

I did not mow down any daisies. They are not blooming yet in any case. After shutting the mower off, I came back out front with some clippers to take care of some really ugly things that keep growing there (I’ll take a picture if they grow back). My neighbor was sweeping cut grass from his sidewalk. He asked if it had worked. I called back that I had finished and thanked him fervently.

“Glad to help out!” he said.

I tried to sweep my cuttings too, but by then I was so tired and sweaty, I did not do a very good job. I came in and took a second shower and dressed in my second cute outfit of the day (or do I flatter myself). I felt utterly incapable of making a blog post, but I said to myself, “Well, just try.” I think that worked out almost as well as the lawn, but again, perhaps I flatter myself.

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Posted in humor, lawn order, personal and tagged blog post, blogging, Eric Gage, mowing the lawn, neighbors, No Mow May, non-power mower, not writing, power mower, tired, WKTV Weather, writing. Bookmark the permalink.

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