 |
| Newly mowed lawn in front of the cottage |
Today we finally quit looking at the grass growing at our lake cottage and busted a move to cut it. We fired up Dan's brand new self-propelling lawnmower, definitely the best lawnmower this place has ever seen. Michael and I had quit mowing the half-acre here a while back and hired a lawn service after I had mowed over a yellow jacket ground hive and ended up with a dozen stings. And Michael ended up in the emergency room after getting stung by one of those really nasty white-faced wasps. Right through his clothing.
And then there are the ticks.
But the grass was growing. The mower was new. And rain is predicted for tomorrow.
This lawn is so familiar. I've mowed it so many times over the 60-some years our family has owned the place. I know the dirt patches where things don't want to grow. Watched the mint migrate around the bottom of one of the big locust trees. Then some lily of the valley, now some lovely hosta. We have wisteria vines the size of rope wrapped around our big sycamore tree, which grows and travels like kudzu vines.
 |
| All suited up for lawn duty |
It was the first time in a while I had put on long pants, shoes and socks, long sleeve shirt. Hair up in a pony tail, ball cap to protect my head. And then started to sweat. Which attracts all those itty bitty bugs that like to swarm my eyes and face. Aha. I remember what else I didn't like about mowing!
But the glorious part of mowing was discovering that the black raspberry bushes from up in the vineyard had migrated to our front and side rock wall because too many shade trees have moved in above us. And my mom's delicious red raspberry bushes had traveled from the back corner of the yard to mid-yard along the wall to catch the necessary sun needed to grow those berries. So amazing to witness these slow migrations necessary for its survival.
 |
| Black and red raspberries |
The side yard is just a part of the yard I don't hang out in. Too sunny. No view of the lake. But now, berries!
It's been ridiculously hot and humid here in New York. Dangerously hot unless you're living on the shore of a glacier lake and can catch a bit of a breeze off the water, can sit on a dock and dangle your feet in the lake. Now that the chores are done, our plan is to spend this lovely Independence Day with friends, keeping cool until the weather breaks.
Happy Independence Day, friends!
 |
| Probably a hundred year old rock wall borders our property |
 |
| Sweetpeas and lilies and berry bushes all in a lovely mess |
 |
| This pileated woodpecker is the size of a hawk! |
 |
| Stopping for the sunset is a daily ritual |
