ON MOWING

I think I mow more frequently than I brush my teeth. Not really, but here in rural Oklahoma it is endless AND frequent. Spring has been very wet and cool, which I relish. But it does make for long, lush fast growing green. The 80 or so acres of Bermuda pasture we look out on every day, is as green and beautiful as I've seen it. NO, I do not mow all 80, but I do mow around the 80. The surrounding path becomes my walking/jogging trail. More about my trail in a moment. Our log home sits all by itself on top of "Packard Mountain". Well, that isn't quite accurate. Our nearest neighbor ( human ) is probably a mile or more away. We can't see them and they can't see us.
I do a considerable amount of mowing just around the actual house. We have a wee bit of zoysia but the rest is bermuda (pasture turned lawn, and I use the term "lawn" loosely). Some of this stuff has been here since the dawn of ages I think. It refuses to be cut. Tough as nails.
Along the mowed trail, I see something new every time. Wildflowers, cacti, turtles ( I accidentally hit one a month or so ago- I'm still scarred), an occasional black snake, armadillos (The Sophster's favorite), raccoons (came upon a mom and young'uns last summer and she was NOT amused) and of course endless deer. Still waiting for my first glimpse of new babies.
Some days I'm too distracted to notice anything. I've been known to cry while mowing, cuss, daydream, pray, sing at the top of my lungs. (This is probably why I haven't seen any fawns yet) I do a lot of talking to myself.
My new grasshopper mower is fantastic, but the cost?? Good grief. However, it is great and makes a long tedious job better.
I really do love to mow. It's mindless, but I do some of my best thinking and problem solving while riding along. And I see IMMEDIATE results.