One of the ways I show my love for Sunburst is to mow the rose garden lawn at the Lodge every week.
Prior to my ministrations… Note pesky gopher eruption.
To be honest, it’s not a burden at all. I love doing it. I used to have a big lawn out in South Suburbia on a third of an acre, and l really enjoyed keeping the grass manicured, soft, and pretty. So when Jim and I came to Sunburst last summer, I saw that cute little square of lawn surrounded by Norm’s roses and I thought, “That’s mine!” I let Heiko and everybody know I wanted to be in charge of that.
I bought one of those old-fashioned push mowers with the spiral blades that rotate around a central axle. They’re so out of style now that people stop me and say, “Hey, I had one of those when I was a kid! Where’d you get that?” (Less than a hundred bucks at Home Depot, by the way.) I’ve even had guests and friends walk by and ask if they can try it out.
The question I get asked most often is, “How come you don’t use a power mower?” Well, at the ranch we have an industrial gas-powered mower that’s about two feet square, runs at roughly 85-90 decibels, and requires its operator to don several different types of safety gear. (OK, I’m including long pants in there—to me, that’s “safety gear,” especially when it’s hot!) We really need it here, with all the brush and ranchland that has to be maintained. I’ve seen The Guys running it out in the fields, and it does a beautiful job. And yes, it would mow the rose garden lawn in about 25 seconds flat.
Eh, voila! Ready for Sunday service.
But if I used it, would I have seen the delicate red dragonfly perched on the tip of a rose leaf who came and watched me work last week? I saw the same one, maybe, with a mate as I mowed this evening! Would I have noticed the huge, swooping brown bat looking for his hidey-hole in the Lodge rafters? What about all the Pacific tree frogs, blue-bellied lizards, and snakes that hop and slide away from my push mower as I slowly cut another stripe?
If I used the power mower, would I get to keep my arms and legs strong, breathe in the fresh, green scent of cut grass, sweat a little, stop and talk to friends, take a break to scoop critters out of the way, or pause to watch the shadow of the Lodge roof advance across the lawn in the late-afternoon sunshine? Would my son Cisco get to see how fast he can make a new swath in the thick, green growth and test his increasing strength?
So while I appreciate and admire the power of the big gas mower, I also see the beauty and value in a slower, gentler way. It may take more time, but I’d never want to miss the gifts I receive every week when I mow the Lodge lawn. (Don’t get me started about the gophers, though—that’s a topic for another time to be posted under “Perseverance.”)
Next time you come to visit, take a moment to sit on the lawn or stand and look around for a few minutes at all the life that surrounds you. If you’re quiet enough, my new red dragonfly friend might stop by to check you out!