I want my OWN lawn mower!

Cliff and his sister do most of the lawn mowing around here, using John Deere riding mowers... our old classic one, and another that we're "taking care of" for Cliff's sister and her husband, since they moved to town.

The only thing I drive is my horse, but I don't mind using the push mower. Within limits, of course.

Lawn mowers these days don't last long, and ours is using oil and most likely on its last legs. The renters also use it for their portion of the yard. I call them renters, but actually all they're renting is trailer space; we gave them the trailer long ago. Nobody else would live in it anyhow, after it's been occupied by two dogs, a cat, and a human family of four... three of whom are, or have been, smokers.

I have a hankering for my own mower, perhaps self-propelled. And my own gasoline can that I can keep right out here in my garage, without having to walk to the barn (and without sharing it with anybody). I want to know that when my mower is low on oil, it's MY fault for not checking.

I don't ask for much, do I?

On another note, one of my message board buddies who lives in Maine, Paul (Fawteen), shared this picture of his happy, healthy astilbe; he tells me it takes a year or two for it to get established.

Another taler tells me this: "They will bloom better with age. Morning sun, afternoon shade, decent moisture, a good season long perennial fertilizer and/or compost will keep them happy. Most astilbe only bloom for 2-3 weeks though."

This Internet is great! I can get information and advice from all across the country and around the world.

Now to figure out what kind of self-propelled lawn mower I want; I may have to ask for more suggestions. Let's face it, though: they're all pretty much disposable these days, made to last only three or four years.