It was another busy weekend around my little mountain top house.
But then again, when do I ever have a weekend that's NOT busy?
Only if I'm away....which is why it's important to get away every now and again, am I right? If I'm in my house, I see a billion things that need to be done. If I'm away, anything I see that needs to be done is not my problem!
I'm already looking forward to our mid July escape.... good food, cocktails, lake water, and quality time spent with my sweetie. What could be better?
Well, this weekend wasn't an 'away' weekend so I was busy around the house and garden....as was my sweetie. There's no shortage of things to be done around here already, yet somehow I keep adding more and more things on my sweetie's honey-do list.
He says he loves helping me out....which works out well for both of us!
One of the big projects my sweetie was working on this weekend was putting together my new toy and getting it all ready for me to use.
What is my new toy, you ask?
Why just this sweet creature right here!
I don't know if you remember, but when I bought my house back in 2015 I bought a small push mower to cut the grass.
It seemed like the perfect solution at the time - battery operated, easy to maintain with no gas/oil to buy or change, and did a decent job on the grass. Perfect, right?
Wrong.
The fact that my property sits on a mountain means that half the time I'm mowing I'm doing it uphill. It's all fun and games when you're going downhill on a lovely May day....but when you're pushing that mower uphill on a hot sticky summer day it's a whole different level of torture.
In addition, the batteries (both mine and the mower's) would give out about half way through the mow. I'd have to plug in the batteries, and head inside for an iced tea and some lunch while they (and me!) recharged. Back out to finish the job after lunch, and by the end of the task I was practically crawling back to the garden cottage to put it away. I wasn't able to accomplish anything else that day, I was shot.
No fault of the mower, it just wasn't the right piece of equipment to maintain 1.7 acres of hilly terrain. It's a perfect mower for a small level piece of property...just not mine.
So, last year I made a decision....I hired a local guy to cut my grass at $45 per cut. He did a terrific job, and it was wonderful to come home on a Friday and know I didn't have to spend all day Saturday mowing the grass. However, $45 per cut x 6 months of cuts (May - October) adds up real quick. If you figure May/June/July the grass needs to be cut weekly that's 13 cuts right there. Add 2 cuts for August, 2 for September, and 2 for October and you are now up to 19 cuts x $45 per cut = $855.00 in just one season.
I decided I'd be better off putting that money towards my own ride on mower rather than paying for his.
So I did. This mower will be paid for in less than 2 seasons by doing my own grass.
And hopefully I'll have it for a long, long time so it was a very wise investment for me.
I also ordered a little trailer for the back to help me out with some of the many garden chores I do around here. Again, the hilly terrain makes pulling a wagon or pushing a wheelbarrow a challenge when I'm lugging around something heavy like bags of mulch or soil, or stones or pavers.
Sweetie spent a good amount of time getting the mower put together, filled with gas, and off the pallets. Naturally he had to have the first spin around my property with it....he earned it!
I watched him zip all over the back garden with it and then it was time for me to put on my big girl panties and learn how to use this thing. I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous.
Sweetie was a great teacher, and before long I was cutting my grass and loving every second of it!
What a game changer this is going to be for my weekends! The grass took no time at all to cut, and the whole process was truly so enjoyable. Not to mention, when I was done I had energy left to take care of a bunch of other things around the house!
It's so nice to see everything greening up and my property all nice and tidy again. The mower did a great job of chopping up the leaves....yay, no raking! I did buy a mulching kit, which will need to be installed. It will be nice to be able to chop the fall leaves right back into the lawn to feed it, rather than break my back raking them.
I love my new toy. I think I'll call her Bee. I bet we're going to be great friends!
While I was cutting the grass Sweetie was busy working on another project.
I had sent him photos of a squash arch I saw somewhere online and I was bound and determined that I needed one in my veggie garden this summer.
This is what he came up with and it's fabulous!
The right garden bed is up against the garage with just a small gap between the garage and the veggie garden. It doesn't get the sun the middle and left bed get, and it tends to get waterlogged as well. It's only good for growing certain things, like lettuce and radishes. So, rather than have the squash sprawling all over the sunny part of the garden using up valuable real estate, I thought it would be perfect to have it grow up and over so I could walk underneath the arch.
How cool is my sweetie that he can create all these things I want out of simple everyday materials?
I can't wait to see the squash growing up this in the summer!
Meanwhile, the radishes have popped that I planted underneath....it's so nice to see things growing in the veggie garden once more.
No sign of the peas....hopefully they are next.
The lilacs will be flowering pretty soon....I'm so excited to bring a bouquet into the house, oh my gosh that heavenly aroma!
Last year I filled a pitcher with white and purple lilacs and had them on my dining room table and the aroma just wafted all over the house - pure heaven!
The carpet phlox is just starting to bloom - this is the first house where I've had any luck with this at all so I'm delighted. I think I shall stick a couple of pieces in other gardens after the bloom and spread the wealth around.
Meanwhile my little namaste frog sits peacefully in the evergreens, making me smile every time I see him. I'm not one for a lot of gizmos and gadgets in my garden but I do like a few well placed accents....and my wind-chimes. I have to have my wind-chimes.
At the end of a busy day in the garden, it was time for a shower, a cocktail, and a yummy home cooked meal.
While dinner was cooking I took the sheets off the line and put them straight onto the bed.
When I went to bed that night, exhausted but happy, my whole room smelled like fresh air and sunshine.
It was a very, very good day.
You've got a good guy, there. And.. I love your new ride!
ReplyDeleteI do have a good guy, Karen Ann! I'm very blessed!!
DeleteWhat a sweet sweetie you have! Your gonna love your new toy but I think he will love it more. And I know your excited about the get away!
ReplyDeleteLisa
He has his own ride on mower to zip around on at his house, this baby's for my house! No doubt he'll use it for things at times when he's working on a project - I'm sure with the little wagon attached it will come in handy for him as well.
DeleteIt's all looking so green and so good. Your new toy is fabulous and so is your "sweetie".
ReplyDeleteHe is fabulous, Marty, no doubt! We've been together for many years now and we make each other happy!
DeleteI like that toy. It is good to be able to work in the yard and yours is looking nice.
ReplyDeleteIt's so great to be able to work outside again, Betty!! What a long winter we had!
DeleteWhen you live on as much land as you do, you definitely need a riding mower! I can't believe you used to do all that mowing with a regular mower. Our property - no problem. Entire thing is done in less than 15 min. I guess that's a good thing when it comes to mowing, but the negative is that means we hardly have any land - and neighbors way too close to us! ;-)
ReplyDeleteSo true, Melanie. When I set off on my house hunt I had intended to buy a place with a smaller and more manageable garden. But then I fell in love with this house and that was the end of that! I need my privacy, it's my peace at the end of a busy day.
DeleteWhen I was a teenager, we had an acre of lawn and I was so happy that we had a riding lawn mower to make that job easier for us all!
ReplyDeleteMy parents had a ride on mower at our country house but for some reason they never let me cut the grass....that's why I was a little afraid of this one, but it's super easy, just like driving a car! Except with a super sharp blade underneath, ha ha!
DeleteWe have an acre of property (minus the space the house takes up) and yes, you definitely need a riding lawn mower. We have a Gorilla Cart (the actual name) and it is indispensable! You will love it for all kinds of jobs. I love your little garden with a fence all around it. Rabbits are a constant problem here. I wish I had a fenced garden. Isn't it nice to look forward to lilacs!-Jenn
ReplyDeleteDoes your gorilla cart hook up to your mower, Jenn? I got one that hooks up to the back to be towed around, it's not huge but I think it's the perfect size for my needs. I have a wheelbarrow (hate it!) and a Worx Aerocart which is awesome, it's just my hilly property makes it a little more challenging than if my land was flat. No rabbits here, I think my pups scare them away but millions of chipmunks and squirrels! The fence is most helpful to keep the deer and the bears out of the veggie garden...hopefully!
DeleteYes, the right piece of equipment can make all the difference!! Love your frog!
ReplyDeleteThat frog is a daily reminder of my older daughter who lives 4 hours away, Carole. When she graduated from yoga school I bought that as my little connection to her even though she's so far away.
DeleteI had a big smile on my face reading this post. Back in 2002 we purchased an old farmhouse in Tennessee with 2 acres. We bought a John Deere and I loved mowing the grass! Love your squash arch.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually looking forward to cutting the grass this weekend, Penny! I used to dread it, it was such a chore! And it's ready for another cut already, the rain and warmer temps make sure of that!
DeleteFirst, glad you didn't get damage, from last week's line of T-storms!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun new "toy"! Known, by the name of 'Bee'!!!! Wonderful that it will make this job, so much easier. Hooray for Sweetie for getting it all set up for you. And for his garden work. Yes, it is very nice, to have a "handy" man in the house!!!!! I know!
Enjoy your Spring! We are happily doing so, over here.
Very happily enjoying my spring for sure....we waited so long for it this year!
DeleteYou are blessed to have your sweetie who can do so many different things.
ReplyDeleteYour new toy looks 'fun' and I know you're going to enjoy it so much.
Happy Gardening ~ FlowerLady
It is fun, Lorraine! I'm still a little bit frightened of it, but once I get comfortable on it there's no telling what it can do for me!
DeleteYour new toy is wonderful. My first planting of radish did not amount to anything. My second planting looks better so am hoping. I do have peas up. Your new squash trellis is great. Smell the lilacs for me! Nancy
ReplyDeleteStill no peas here, Nancy - last year my peas were a bust, I wonder if this year will be the same? They were fine in sweetie's garden, they did really well, but I think something eats them in mine! I wonder why your fist batch of radishes didn't do well?
DeleteI love your new investment and I would say that Sweetie is a keeper. xo Laura
ReplyDeleteHe is a keeper for sure, Laura! I'm wondering how your allotment application turned out?
DeleteHello Bee! What a wonderful gift to ones self. Anything that makes chores go faster. I would love to have a riding lawn mower, but our property 1+ acres is giant rocks, so we stepped off sections and just moved rocks around to make a wall. It is gorgeous but it means hand mowing, but if we get it done early enough in the day......not to bad. Hugs to you and your sweetie!
ReplyDeleteIt was a wonderful gift to myself, Cindy, and most definitely makes better financial sense than paying someone! I will still have to hand mow or weed-wack some areas, but Bee definitely takes the pressure off the big mow! I'm actually looking forward to mowing again this weekend - what a difference that is from the past when I would dread it!
DeleteSo nice to have a man around that likes to help out! I would probably exhaust him with all I need help with! Everything looks great. I think I'd want to mow the lawn with that nice rider.
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, AnnMarie, I could exhaust him also if I had my way!! However, since he has his own house to take care of I try to go easy on him and do as much as I can myself!
DeleteOh my gosh Debbie I love fresh hung on the line sheets. Nothing like it. We cannot have a clothes line here where we live. Yep! Can you believe they have a city ordnance you cannot hang laundry outside of your house. So weird. I remember hanging sheets on the line when we were kids and how fresh our beds were. Love your new riding mower. I am sure your body will be happy that you got this new mower. Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteKris
My body is already happy, Kris!! I got a small wagon to pull behind it as well - now I can do a few more heavy projects I had in mind without breaking my back pulling a little wagon up the hill! I can't believe you can't have a clothesline - that's terrible, what's wrong with that government? Someone should contest that in this day and age with the whole 'green' movement!
DeleteWe purchased a John Deere riding mower in early 2008. It's been super! Of course there is always blade sharpening, oil, gas, etc. in the summertime, and have had to buy new tires.... we also use ours in the winter and purchased chains, weights (for our hilly driveway) a snowblower attachment and blade for pushing snow. Ours has been ideal for our country living, and anything more heavy duty is ever required (which is seldom) our wonderful neighbor has a real tractor for those jobs. Glad to see you bit the bullet and made the purchase.... you will never regret it! Have fun with it!!!
ReplyDeleteI was concerned about all the maintenance that goes along with a ride on mower, but I decided the benefits outweigh the negatives by far. I saw all the attachments available for snow, but I think that would be a bit too much for me since I work full time....I'll stick with my plowing contract!
DeleteI couldn't do the attachments either.... that's Hubby's job. LOL I don't even ride the darn thing. You'll do fine with your new fancy machine.... xox
DeleteGreat investment! What a sweet man your Sweetie really is!
ReplyDeleteHe's a good egg, mountain sister!!!!!!!!!
DeleteDebbie, that last photo is breathtaking! I just love the smell of fresh linens, and to have them full of sunshine and fresh air - simply priceless. Happy for you to have your new tool/toy, and that you have the physical and moral support of your Sweetie. You two make an awesome pair.
ReplyDeleteWe do make a pretty awesome pair, Rita! I'm very blessed to have his help around the house for certain projects, that's for sure! He's so handy and can really come up with creative solutions when I come up with a new half baked idea!
Deleteif you have the rainy weather that we usually do in the spring you could easily calculate have to mow 2x per week! :) A very nice investment and a very nice Sweetie :)
ReplyDeleteI love putting sheets on the line. They retain the scent so Mother Nature so nicely :) When I saw your post about getting a clothesline I knew that you were going to enjoy it in a major way!
I had missed having a clothesline so much, Deb! I haven't used my dryer even once since the clothesline was put up...I just do my laundry on the days the weather is agreeable! I do a load in the morning and hang it out before work and take it in while dinner is cooking - perfect!
DeleteI really do love following your blog, Debbie! It always makes me feel energized and ready to go at whatever chore I need to get to! The rider is great, every guy loves a new toy. We have a neighbor at the lake, across the street. She has to be in her mid to late eighties...a widow. She has a huge John Deere, and every Wednesday like clockwork she is cutting her lawn. Her garden is impeccable, you would think she had hired help. She's proof positive we can 'get 'er done'!!
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend!
Jane
Isn't that something, Jane? In her 80s and still taking care of her own property - I love it! It's so much easier to 'get er done' when we have the right tools to do so, that's for sure!
Delete