I am burnt...

Yesterday was the first summer-like spring day we have had. From start to finish it was blue skies and sun. I had mowed the lawn just shy of two weeks ago and in that time it appeared that a jungle had arisen in the backyard. At one point with the sun beating down and the long grass swaying in the light breeze, I was reminded of a scene from "The Ghost and the Darkness", where I would expect to see a lion's tail swishing through the veldt. On Friday, my neighbour across the street had yelled over from his porch to ask if I would like him to cut the lawn when he was mowing the churchyard, and I politely declined, because I was, for some strange reason, looking forward to getting hot and sweaty doing the damned thing myself. So yesterday I went outside at 11:30. The grass was still damp from the morning dew. I went as far as the cords would let me, switched plugs and did the backyard, as far the as I could go. By that time in the afternoon, the neighbour across the street had returned from a jaunt and had ridden his mower over to the churchyard. I switched plugs once more and did the frontyard. I had left a wee bit of the curvy paths in the backyard, and there was also a small section that the cords wouldn't let me get to. As I was just about to do another section, after much contemplation, the neighbour rolled on over and said he was impressed... and asked if I would like him to finish the rest.... and I wholeheartedly accepted. Over the roar of the little engine, he mentioned that I would have to go over what he had done as his mower doesn't do a clean cut. I was fine with that.  I thanked him, and he puttered off into the sunset. (Not really...  it wasn't that late in the day.)

Funny thing. He said his wife had seen me mowing the lawn last time and had asked what I was doing when she saw me making the curvy paths. He was wondering if he had missed the memo, as since then, two guys with houses down the street had also cut curvy paths into their yards. The primary reason I had done mine was because the sunny days were few and far between, and it was getting late that day, so it provided me with a creative way to cut the lawn until the next sunny day appeared. He surmises that the other guys were thinking the same thing. Apparently their curvy paths are now gone as well.

I am glad I wore a hat. My back is burnt. I don't know how it is possible that just my back is burnt.