This Isn't Your Grandpa's Mower...

I like the idea of simplifying. I like the idea of getting away from everything being automated, motorized, computerized. I like the idea of getting back to the old way of doing things at times.


So when we went from 70 acres in northern Minnesota to one seventh of an acre in southern California, it seemed like a good idea to get a reel mower. My grandfather had a reel mower. I can still picture him in the back yard of his house in St. Paul, the curved blades spinning and grass clippings flying. The reel on his mower was about a foot in diameter and it made a great whirring sound. I could hardly wait for our grass to get long enough to break out my new reel mower. 

I had visions of trimming our tiny front yard in a matter of minutes, whirring along as quickly and effortlessly as Grandpa used to with his reel mower. And mine was new, with sharp blades, a lighter frame, and shiny red paint instead of dull brown. 


It didn't go quite as well as I'd hoped....


It kept getting stuck! The grass clippings pile up on the safety bar in the back and the whirring stops. The reel mower represents everything I want more of right now, which is less--it doesn't have a computer chip, it doesn't use gas, it doesn't pollute--and it sucked!


Alas, after changing the adjustments on the wheels I finally got it to work better (I don't remember Grandpa's reel mower having adjustments on it), and I finally got the lawn mowed. It doesn't have nice straight lines mowed into it, and the grass is not all at the same perfectly clipped length, but it's no longer the longest on the block. 


Maybe if I take the "safety bar" off, it will work better! I'm sure Grandpa's mower didn't have one. I'll do that tomorrow. 


In the mean time....