first mow

So. The mowing season is upon us - and here in Minnesota, you do not have time to take a breath between snowing and mowing. Our last snow storm was April (a good 2 feet) and the first time I mowed the lawn was May.

We have this lawn mower that needs special attention. I have to open up the wing nut (you see here in the picture) every time I want to start the mower - and it has to be turned the other way to stop the mower.


Last year was the first year I mowed the lawn more than twice a season and the first time I mowed the lawn without Kevin's help with the mower. Kevin instructed me to "turn the wing nut" but did not show me which wing nut - at least I knew what a wing nut was. I turned the wrong wing nut and nothing happened. I pulled and pulled and then put the damn mower in the garage. I have learned a lot since then.

Since this was the first mow of the year, I needed to do a bit more that turn that fricken wing nut.

You see, if you do not turn the wing nut, gas does not flow to where it is supposed to go. The wings nut was not moving in a forward direction - or any direction for that matter and I got out the wrench and turned the nut about the wing nut (not a good idea). I could turn the nut about 1/6 of a turn and then reposition the wrench and turn 1/6 again and again and again. I had to get the mower running because the neighbors were home and I had to look smarter than the mower.
I am not smarter than the mower. But I managed to mow the lawn (check it out) and Kevin came home and fixed what I had done to the mower.

Then the next week it was Kevin's turn to mow. It overheated, did not run, the wing nut trick was not working. So we went to town and bought a new snazzy mower. One that starts and runs until you shut it off. Amazing.

Moral: If I want a new mower, dehumidifier, blender... have Kevin use it and I will have a new one in a matter of days. That only took 2 years of marriage to figure out!