Friday, July 24, 2009

Do You Mow the Grass or Cut the Lawn?


The hostas are HUGE this summer!



I mowed again today. I love mowing. It's a mind-numbing job, and that's why I like it. And as I was mowing for a couple hours this afternoon, I got curious: do you MOW THE LAWN or do you CUT THE GRASS? My southern relation say "cut the grass". Perhaps you have another term for it?

Our "lawn" is just an old farmhouse yard that is not planned, wasn't sodded or hydro-seeded, has no sprinkler system but God's; nor is it maintained on a regular basis. I guess it's kind of a poor little yard. It is spotty in places, very bumpy, a weedy yard, that looks halfway decent in the spring before the dandelions take over, then it looks nice awhile again until the clover blooms....and then along about the rainy time in the fall it looks well once again when the rain and cool weather make it look like it's really a lawn of GRASS instead of a mixture of weeds that make me sneeze when I mow and their stuff and fluff flies up my nose.

Occasionally, instead of being distracted at the sight of my thighs jiggling, I will just listen to the iTouch and hum, maybe sing along, too, but not too loud, I don't want the neighbors' dogs to run away. The most difficult thing about mowing, besides gassing it up and getting the mower in and out of the barn is deciding which way to mow today: horizontally, vertically, or diagonally?! I change the pattern of my cut each time I mow. Once I cut everything in and get the ditches done, my mind can wander, or I can be thankful, think some things over and solve the world's problems, or let the brain go completely into neutral and do nothing with it except absorb the music in my earbuds and wish that summer would last forever. (Or maybe not, if that happened, I might HATE mowing!)

Which makes me ask: for those of you who live in states like sunny California and Florida...do you have to mow all year long or do your lawns have a dormant season? Just curious!

There's a satisfaction to me to see the lines and the lawn looking clean cut again, getting the weeds whacked, the debris on the driveway blown off and putting everything away and heading to the house for a good shower. Hard work always feels better after a shower.

(Oh, and while I mowed, I noticed that I really, really need to pick raspberries, I stopped and picked handfuls of them as I went by them on the mower...yum! So headin' out with buckets to pick some! They're as big as the end of my thumb!)


DO YOU MOW YOUR LAWN OR DO YOU CUT YOUR GRASS??

22 comments:

Stacey said...

We definitely mow. I should say we used to. My husband took it upon himself to decide that we would have it done from now on. Like you said, it was a job I really enjoyed. There's a start and finish...it smells good..hard work...I always got a lot of satisfaction from it. May have to sneak out and buy a mower because once a week isn't really enough to please me.

Jessica said...

I mow the lawn, but my husband cuts the grass. He's not from the south, but has a lot of friends that are and has spent a lot of time down there...interesting! :)

sherry said...

Out on the 'left coast' we mow the lawn. Sounds like your lawn is made for a 4WD-lawn-mower. ;o)

My husband does the mowing but I've been known to surprise him every once in a while with a newly mown lawn before he gets home from work. Our yard is flat and originally sodded 15 years ago, but it has no straight lines - everything is curved which can make for tricky mowing.

I just love your blog. Through and through. :o)

jAne at tickleberryfarm.blogspot.com

blushing rose said...

All we from the north that I know, mow the lawn. I loved mowing but am not able to get 30 feet close to a mower anymore, nor a motorcycle or any of DHs power tools. When I mow it is so nice & peaceful, just me & my thoughts & the Heavens above. TTFN~ Marydon

Farmgirl Cyn said...

Farmboy mows the weeds! Like you, there is no real sod...just weeds that grow, get mowed, and look OK when done. I sometimes do the little bitty courtyard in the front, but other than that...it's a guy thing.

Donna said...

I guess I say both, LOL! And our yard is like yours. We like to say that if you cut the weeds short enough, they look a lot like grass from a distance, hahaha!!!

I KNOW that I solve all of the world's problems while I'm on the mower. If the world leaders would just ask me for the solutions, I've got them! (including leaving my durn health care insurance ALONE!)

Bloggin bout my Boys said...

My Dad went from mowing his yard in MIchigan to "Cutting the Grass" which IS year round in Florida. Especially since they got all of our rain from Michigan this summer! He also drinks SODA not POP anymore! HA!

bobbi said...

We mow the lawn in this area. But I'm curious, if someome were to "cut the grass" would they use a grass cutter instead of a lawnmower? I think it's a regional thing. Here's another question: do you drink pop or soda?

Parisienne Farmgirl said...

We say both -

I tell you what - the line about your thighs jiggling was the best this evening! We have an old fashioned mover not for the sake of being "green" but because I hate the noise-
I take it your on a tractor??? Don't mind the tractor sound...

Unknown said...

I'm a southerner--and I mow the grass. Maybe one day when I get the landscaping like I want it, I'll call it a lawn.

Vicki's Bit-o-earth said...

I mow the lawn! (: And I love mowing the lawn, for all the reasons you gave, but also because out there is where the phone doesn't ring, the sun is shining on me and the summer breezes feel great.

Sometimes I wish summer would last forever too... until about September and then I'm glad its fall! Here on the coast of California I mow weekly through October ... but after that mother earth starts rolling over a little and the sun doesn't shine on us so long every day and the plants start falling asleep. Then I can mow only once a month until January until the rainy season arrives and I give a big grateful sigh that I can let nature take care of itself for a few months. (:

Sit A Spell said...

I say...We need to cut the grass. Then I'll say, I just mowed the yard. How funny, huh??? Hey...I'm still here, so it's not too late. Maybe I can make a field trip "up north" to your neck of the woods. I heard y'all have an Amish store up there?

Sue said...

Up here, my husband mows the lawn. And he finds it relaxing. Me? I find it irratating beyond belief-the noise, the stink of gas and exhaust. I'm glad at times we never get rain-he's only mowed 4 times this summer!

Free Art Printables said...

My husband "cuts" the grass and takes a really loooong time doing it!

Thistle Cove Farm said...

We say it all including 'mow the lawn'. Sometimes we 'bush hog' as well -smile.

KathyB. said...

I am reading and answering you as my husband is mowing the lawn! I say both, but I have lived in the south as well as the west, and Hawaii. I have noticed my phrases are a mix because of my upbringing.

Do you say griddle or frying pan? Grease, or greaze? Do you wrestle or wrastle....you all or y'all, yes maa'm or just plain yes? Love the variety of terms, pronunciations and phrases in this country!

~ ~ Ahrisha ~ ~ said...

Cut the grass, definately, is the term used in this area. Especially for us it is not so nice as a lawn. I refuse to put chemical feeders & weeders on it so it has lots of weed in it. . .But, it is green and right now that's all that matters.
I would be curious to know how many folks use chemicals like scotts. To each his own. Have a lovely weekend~ ~Ahrisha~ ~

Anonymous said...

Yep, we have to mow all year but it grows much slower in the winter. Course we can garden all year too and have cut flowers all year etc. So it is a trade off. Since I am an out door gal I am glad I live here. Jody

DownBranchRoad said...

We "mow" down here in Southern KY. We have had lots of rain this year so it is a must every 5 days or so. Most of the time in late July and Aug. it is hot and dry and dont need mowing as often. I love reading your blog. Thanks for sharing.
Joy

Mary said...

We mow the "lawn". We mainly grow weeds and rocks at my house. The other day, when we were planting grass seed and I picked up three wheelbarrow loads of rocks, I said "if rocks were gold, we'd be rich". I think I'll just put in a huge rock garden and forget about mowing the weeds. Woops! Snakes like to sun themselves on warm rocks, don't they? Hmmm, maybe not! Anyway, I think your lawn is just great. The first time my youngest felt grass on her little bare feet was on your lawn, because we never had one! Good times!

Twisted Fencepost said...

I live on a farm. I don't have a lawn. I have a yard. tee hee
I mow the grass.
I wish I had some raspberries to pick as I ride by.

Mary Jane Plemons said...

I just found this post. We "mow the yard" here in Central Texas. My husband does it, because I hate it, since it is so hot and dirty, it is "man's work"! I do the inside work, and he mows, makes the living, works on things, etc. We have very traditional divisions of work. I cook, clean, do laundry, and pick and preserve the garden, while he plows it, and helps plant it. We both tend to the chickens, but I am the one who gathers the eggs. He unloads the feed. Works for us for 49 years, come July 14th!