The Sound of Fresh Cut Grass

To cut the tiers of grass in my yard, I chose the 20" Task Master to help with the job. I really enjoy having a push mower instead of a power mower; easier to start (just push), good for the environment (no fuel or fuel exhaust), easy to store (smaller size). It is, however, believe it or not, nosier, or at least more grating, than the hum of an electric mower. As the blades turn they emit a high pitched squeal and scrape -- metal against metal. I am a veritable spectacle in my neighborhood of modern yard care equipment. People turn their heads, children run for cover, dogs howl.

One afternoon, however, an elderly lady walking up my street beamed a huge smile at me while I was cutting the grass and said, you don't hear that sound anymore! She stopped for a moment, breathing in deeply, watching me push rows through my scruffy lawn. She had that wistful look of someone catching a happy memory, and I felt happy that my throw-back-lawn-care-ways were able to give that to her.