Move Along! Nothing To See Here!

Last week I mowed our lawn for the first time this year. Not a very exciting event as far as I'm concerned but I guess I was wrong.

Last year when my gas mower crapped out I got one of those reel mowers. No motor, no gas, no emissions and no breakdowns. It's environmentally friendly! Again not really a big deal as far as I'm concerned.

However, I've noticed something a little strange when I mow the lawn.

First a little background.

I live on a pretty busy street and the corner of our lot has a traffic light. When the light is red there is sometimes a line of stopped cars next to my yard. When I was using the gas mower this was a major inconvenience because I had to pause when the cars were lined up, especially when I was mowing between the sidewalk and the curb. I don't think people would appreciate me firing rocks and shit into the sides of their vehicles. And anyway, that's the kids' job!

When I switched to the reel mower I figured I would never have to think about the stupid traffic again.

I was wrong!

It would seem that I've now become some kind of sideshow for the people waiting at the red light. "It's the CanadaDad Lawn Mowing Show!" [cue circus music] It's as if they've never seen a reel motor before. Judging by some of the looks I get you'd think I was mowing the lawn with a pair of scissors while buck naked on a unicycle.

I try to not even look at the cars now because every time I do I see slack-jawed people in them staring at me, sometimes smiling and sometimes even pointing. "Holy Shit Martha! Would you take a look at that!" Every now and then I have to check my fly just in case! But it's not my fly. People are just amazed/dumbfounded by my mower.

I guess the folk of Brandon just aren't ready for my new fangled mower. And that's another thing these things aren't even new, they're old fangled.

I'm seriously considering mowing my lawn under the cover of night like some criminal. But then again that would probably only cause more attention to be drawn upon myself.