Today, I broke out the riding mower to work on the outer yard.

Although I don’t intend to focus on any clean up out there, we do still need to keep parts of it mowed.

I started by “framing” out the areas I wanted to mow, mostly for access.  You can see how tall it is, plus there is last year’s grass under it, too.  So I was extra slow and careful while going through the thickest parts, and keeping a very sharp eye out for anything I didn’t want to mow over.  I did have to get off a couple of times to move away sticks or old wooden shingles.

Next, I started working on sections, beginning with the driveway.

The area to the left of the driveway in the photo had lots of horse droppings.  Just that side.  The other side didn’t.  Which is weird.

My parents didn’t have horses.

The next section I focused on was in front of the shed we’re storing my parents’ stuff in, so we can get in and out of it more easily as we add more to the shed.

I had to go over this section twice.

I had not originally intended to do this, but decided to mow a pathway to the other gate.  We still need to fix the barb wire gate, and this way, we can get to it without having to fight our way though tall, tick infested, grass.

I was REALLY careful doing this section, because I remember there were all sorts of random piles of stuff.  Basically, I just followed old tire tracks.

Next, I started working on a section between my dad’s old car, and the burn barrel.

I had just got around by the car, when this happened.

Yeah.  I broke a belt.

On my new mower.

Sadness.

Woe.

Thankfully, belts are not expensive, but I will have to enlist the help of my older brother to fix it, I think.

I guess I just pushed it too hard. :-(

I wasn’t about to let all that wonderful cut grass go to waste, though.  After putting away the mower, I got out the rake and a wheelbarrow, and started hauling grass to the flower garden.  Amazingly, I had to actually start scrounging for grass clippings to finish it!  I not only raked in front of the storage shed, but also to the barn, then back to the driveway.

Which is when this happened.

It finally gave out.

And this was the good fan rake!

We do have one other one, though I expect that one to break soon, too.  I only needed one more load of grass clippings to finish, though.  I had to go to the path I mowed to the back get to get enough!

But it is finally gone!  The entire flower garden is now covered with a thick later of straw, leaves and grass clippings.  I’ve even started adding the contents of our compost bucket.

It is now being thoroughly soaked down.

The next step we plan to take (aside from continuing to add any grass clippings, etc. that we can, over the summer) is to pick up a couple of bales of peat moss and add that as another layer.  I really want to build it up, to kill off the invasive plants and cover any little remaining stumps from stuff I’d trimmed away completely.  Especially at the old fence line at the end of the garden, where things had gotten pretty wild.

Over by the fire pit, my mother’s lilies are now in full bloom.

They are doing really, really well.  I think, once we have the flower garden built up, I’ll transplant these into it.

While I was taking pictures, I felt something rubbing against my leg…

It was a Butterscotch!

She looks ticked off. :-D

She was seen earlier today, carrying a kitten.  My daughter barely saw more than little legs and a tail, and couldn’t even tell what colour it was.  It seems she had moved her kitten(s?) to the garden shed.  I’d gone into it yesterday, looking for something, and she came out from under stuff in the back and began hissing at me.  Even though I didn’t go much past the doorway, I guess it was still too much for her, and she found another place for her kitten(s?).

So we are back to not having a mower, until I can replace that belt.  I won’t be able to phone the shop my brother got it from until Monday.

*sigh*

Ah, well.  It’s not like there isn’t plenty of other work to be done!

The Re-Farmer