Lawn Tractors

So yesterday I had my first experience mowing my yard. Not with my new lawn tractor–I’m picking that up tomorrow–but with the former owner’s riding mower, which he kindly lent me. Of course, he didn’t quite show me how to use it, and he left it running. This would have been fine, except when I took the brake off, I discovered he’d also left it in reverse. The mower careened backward into the open garage, taking me with it. My first instinct was to put my feet down to stop it from moving. Try stopping 19 horses with your feet. Doesn’t happen. Luckily I managed to shift it into first before I hit a wall or beam or something important. I got back outside, found the brake again, and put it in neutral. My ankle is rather sore, but I managed to get through the experience unscathed. After that (and a quick lesson by the owner), I mowed the yard successfully, if not gracefully. It took over an hour, and it made me very happy that I’ve purchased a riding mower, too. That’s a whole lot of yard. I felt kind of like a farmer, honestly, and I imagine I looked tremendously silly. That’s how I felt at any rate, no doubt in large part due to the fact that I kept getting stuck in hidden hills and dips in the yard, and shifting was a new experience. It’s different than a car.

Sorry–no video of the event, and I didn’t take any pictures, either. Once I’m more comfortable, and have my own riding mower, then maybe I’ll snap some shots.

On the bright side, I’m happy to say that, silly or not, I enjoyed the mowing experience. Once I figured out how to drive the thing halfway decently, it went much better. Before I mowed, I’d been rather stressed and tired. After, I felt much better. Good way to relieve tension, at least for now.

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