1000's and 1000's of tomatoes

Last year this time I was writing all about the backyard. I haven't written much about it since.  My spade broke in two.  And my lawnmower broke. I need a new one. The grass is long. It is a disaster. It's about that time when the neighbour offers her lawnmower to me.

I'm intentionally holding out, seeing how long I can get away without buying one.  My life is too easy, I need some fun.  The dry summer has helped me with my goals.  I have fared well, managed two seasons without one, and the next season is almost upon us.  Have some how kept the front lawn manicured and the neighbours content (ha).  Another reason why I drag this out ... waiting to see what kind of earth shattering BEST deal on a lawn mower I can get.  (I learned at my local hardware store that they do not drop the price, they put them in storage for the winter and try again next spring.). Maybe some other serendipitous solution will present itself.   And another reason, I just kind of do that ... same with my car, 10 years and still running. Part of me wants a new one, part of me wants to see how many miles I can put on the engine. 118000 already. I'm sure I could get to 200000. But I digress.

Last summer I bought a weed whacker. Stupid squirrels chewed through the weed whacker gas tank, siphoned all my gas and made it impossible for me to continue to use.  (Love ducktape, but screw it). I also bought a 5 gallon gas tank. Stupid tank wouldn't let the gas pour out (I grew up on a farm, these things used to be simple, but this one required a set of instructions. I burnt those).  For awhile this summer I had a stupid weed whacker and a stupid gas tank sitting in my garage. I got rid of the weed whacker. Placed it at the end of the driveway, walked into the house to get a sticky note and pen to scribble a note and stick it onto the hole of the gas tank.  Returned, and it was already gone.  I hate excess. I hate waste. I'm glad someone grabbed it.

One day this summer I came out with a pair of scissors and started cutting the grass along side the house. Got half done before the neighbour offered me her mower. Got side tracked mowing the lawn and never trimmed the rest of the sides of the house.

I also have a reel mower. I LOVED shopping for that.  First thing I bought along with my first house. Carried it to my rental and then on to this house. I was happy to drag that one around. Mowing the lawn early Saturday morning, oblivious college student neighbours sleeping away.

There used to be a mobile blade sharpener. I  discovered he walked the entire city, with his collection of sharpeners, offering his service. That made for an easy time with a reel mower.  I met him once. I chased him down on my bike and pointed him in the direction of my house. We met and he skillfully sharpened each blade.  My neighbour hauled over their mower and he went to work on theirs. 'See you in two years." he said. Then he disappeared. Forever.

My mower is long time dull now and fairly useless.  One time I hauled it over to a blade sharpening shop. Waited a week while the grass grew tall.  Finally retrieved reel mower and was exhausted and disappointed with its cutting performance.  I mowed for the rest of the summer and the next, until the blades were deemed useless and the thing now leans against my garage wall, retired.

Along with my long grass, I have three crazy tomato plants & a Hydrangea (it was raining this morning, so just a blurry backyard snapshot).  Successful and bountiful (the tomato plants that is, the Hydrangea was kind of water starved). And they (the tomatoes) are still flourishing. They are the heirloom kind, three different kinds; I forget much about them except they were each suppose to ripen at different times. I give away 1/2 of the orange tomatoes (one of my friends eats them whole, so he gets most of them). I blanch, peel, cube and freeze the other half. I hear they are really, really sweet and tasty.

Growing plants acceptable. Growing grass, not so acceptable. My neglected backyard, will soon  get the attention it deserves. I'm signing up for a two day landscaping course which hopefully will give me some ideas and direction to work on for next spring.

Linking up with SITS Girls and their Fall Photo prompt. Join in over here.