OK, grass, GROW!

[smhardesty]

I managed to get my own rig ready to mow today. I started late yesterday afternoon on it and finished up today. Fully serviced, washed and waxed, and sitting with a battery tender on it. I didn't bother to pull the deck this winter since I did that in the middle of last season. I looked at it really closely and didn't see a definite need to clean it up and paint it this year. I might do that one rainy weekend this spring. I get laughed at for washing and waxing my mowers. I also get laughed at for cleaning the underside of the deck, then putting on two coats of primer, followed by two coats of paint and a healthy application of heavy duty metal protector. Maybe I'm a little anal, but I get top dollar for my stuff when I sell it. Guys that have bought my old mowers tell me that what they got was the best used mower they ever purchased, so I guess it pays off.

So, yeah. Grow, grass, grow. LOL!

 

[StarTech]

Oh yes the mowers are already coming in the shop since it hit 85F this week.

 

[smhardesty]

85? Dang. Where are you located? I'm in southeastern Illinois. We have had several days of 60 to 70 degree temps. Some trees are budding out, people have reported flowers or other plants sprouting, and a LOT of people are seeing different kinds of insects. A few days ago I was in the garage working on a string trimmer on the bench and noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. There was a stinkbug crawling on my small vise. Without thinking I reached out and squashed it. Yeah, a momentary mental lapse. LOL!

My wife and I have both seen Robins in the backyard, eating the corn that the squirrels drop. Then yesterday my wife was at the kitchen window and hollered that there was a Cardinal in the backyard. I'm afraid all that life is going to be in for a shock. Maybe I'm just a pessimist, but I think we'll have one more cold spell before spring really does arrive. I was talking to the parts guy at the local farm service store and mentioned we'd be mowing pretty soon and he said he had fired up his zero turn and mowed along his treeline because the yellow grass had started growing and he didn't want it to get too tall and tough before he mowed it the first time. Kind of strange happenings for the month of February.

 

[StarTech]

Southern Central TN.

And yes I will probably lose the peaches and plums yet again this year. They are currently in full bloom and the Bradfords just now opening too. Back at 59F so far today.

 

[smhardesty]

And yes I will probably lose the peaches and plums yet again this year. They are currently in full bloom and the Bradfords just now opening too.

Yep. That's a shame. Not only will guys like you lose your personal harvest, all the different orchards will as well so there will be serious shortages and prices will be really high.

 

[StarTech]

Well the particular area I live in is know for it cold snaps which is why most growers here will not raise peaches. Apples and Pears can stand the lower temps better and usually can stand a natural thinning of the fruit load.

I personally know a large plant Peach orchard here that was bulldozed because every year for five seasons they lost the whole crop to late freezes.

 

[Glades Cat]

Yeah. Did the first oil change on the new mower I bought last year. I fnally have 10 hours on it. Lol
What used to take me an hour to mow now takes me 15 minutes. 5 for the front yard and 10 the back yard. The 52” deck makes short work. The grass is starting to grow a little quicker now. I love to mow my yard. Weed Eater...not so much. I gotta try that mower waxing thing. My truck may get jealous. Lol
One thing I Noticed this year. All of the Mango trees in S Florida are loaded with flowers like I haven’t seen in years. There will be a lot of kids selling Mangos in front of their house. That is how I bought my first boat when I was 15yo....selling Mangos. $150 later, I got a my first skiff. Gone fishin.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Yeah. Did the first oil change on the new mower I bought last year. I fnally have 10 hours on it. Lol
What used to take me an hour to mow now takes me 15 minutes. 5 for the front yard and 10 the back yard. The 52” deck makes short work. The grass is starting to grow a little quicker now. I love to mow my yard. Weed Eater...not so much. I gotta try that mower waxing thing. My truck may get jealous. Lol
One thing I Noticed this year. All of the Mango trees in S Florida are loaded with flowers like I haven’t seen in years. There will be a lot of kids selling Mangos in front of their house. That is how I bought my first boat when I was 15yo....selling Mangos. $150 later, I got a my first skiff. Gone fishin.

Weird,
We had a bumper early mango season in Oz as well
Prices dropped to 20¢ a piece for small ones and 50¢ for football sized ones.
Then after chrissie when they really come in,,,, nothing back up to $ 3 a hit .
We had 3 floods in a row which seems to have knocked the fruit flys for a 5 so got a good crop of peaches but as the tree is now 25 years old this will be it's last season .
landlord in cranky as the fruit bats ate all of heir cherries & necterines then the parrots knocked off all of the Pecans

 

[PTmowerMech]

My yard needs mowing. But it's still too wet.

 

[smhardesty]

My yard needs mowing. But it's still too wet.

I'm going out to mow this afternoon. Nice day with very little wind will allow me to burn some branches, limbs, and logs I have all cut up to fit in my burn pit.