Normally I don't write at night but here I am. I'm refreshed from taking a nap, recovering from some lawn mowing. No routine lawn mowing, this was. This was an "attack" on the overgrown section in back, on north end, where lots of tough weeds always come up. Lots of hard stuff in comparison to grass. So I'm concerned of course about wear and tear on my equipment, specifically my walk-behind mower that I purchased a long time ago at Eul's.
Eul's! We'll remember that business name for a long time. We have never forgotten Willie Martin with the groceries. I went to high school with Mike Eul. The one child of Rit and Ione who did not stick around to be in the family business. We have lost Mike to the next life. He was Class of '73 like Willie and Rachel Martin's oldest child Edith.
Edith had a parallel with Mike: unlike her siblings she did not stick around with the family business. Married a minister. I would have to assume that was Wisconsin Synod. Can I identify that as a "fringe" synod? What about our Zion Lutheran with the Missouri Synod? Fringy? I'm not the one to characterize, but I do know that the Wisconsin Synod considers the Pope to be the antichrist. Oh yes they do.
Didn't ultra-conservative politician Michele Bachmann leave her Wisconsin Synod church? For that reason in fact? Tough when you have to alienate all the Catholics. How should you explain yourself?
Normally I prefer mowing my nice ordinary green grass with my walk-behind. I even try to avoid any small branches in my path: concern about being hard on the mower. What I did today requires adjustment in one's thinking. It was time to be in "attack mode" with my yard. I'm sure my neighbors heard some pretty intense sounds! Mower would "kill" at times, as it'd get momentarily overwhelmed.
After my initial shock at having to do something so intense, I adjusted and had no problem with it. I knew there was risk to the mower, either breaking it somehow or dulling the blade. I got through it well with no evidence of damage. Praise be to God I guess. And it is tremendously satisfying. Actually had not done this in a long time.
It was just a few years ago that I prioritized cleaning up the rear of my property. My father established a shelter belt of trees there. The trees grew bigger and the weeds multiplied. My neighbor to the west described the rear of the Williams property as a "jungle." He wasn't upset or at least he wasn't showing it. I told him in an email that if I had just continued to do nothing about it, I would have "one heckuva windbreak."
And that was very true. But the time came for some tidying. This involves having the friendly tree guy, Craig Beyer, come by sometimes. If my father only knew the landscaping bills he was bequeathing me! Well I can shoulder it. And now this evening, right during the presidential debate which I have chosen not to watch, I can feel satisfaction about my back yard.
Why this project at this time? Well we have all become aware of a wet spring with its consequences. It may be climate change. At least our local dam is not at risk of breaking unlike elsewhere in the state. But we do have a proliferation of wildlife, that's for sure. Some enjoyable to have around, others no.
I gave Sharon Martin, Edith's sister, the heads-up about how skunks are seen along the biking/walking trail east of town. I had never seen them there before. The juvenile skunks can be kind of cute if you can disregard the main issue with this animal. Actually I think that if you don't provoke them, you're in the clear. It's still not a welcome sight.
A few days after I talked with Sharon, she confirmed to me that she did see them! Be aware, everyone.
And so I have noticed the proliferation of critters out where I live. A different neighbor of mine to the west told me that he recently dispatched six skunks. He live-traps them and then takes them out back and shoots them. That's the kind of animal I'm focusing on here: skunks. An animal to really get your attention. Stay tuned.
A friend tells me that such critters are "in town." Be advised. So I mowed to try to minimize what's available for them to eat.
It's getting dark now, Thursday night, and conditions are cool, windy and wet again. And we're getting close to July 4?
I try to ignore the presidential debate but I'm quite interested in how the Indiana Fever are doing tonight. They're playing at Seattle. Right now it doesn't look good.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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