It has been one of those days. The Lawnmower is dead (well actually it is not but it sure is smokin'!!).Aaron went for a run at 8.15pm just as I was tucking the kids into bed. I have been procrastinating all day about mowing the lawn (if I am real, it has probably been a week) so I gave myself a pep talk and told myself not to be so lazy.
Out comes the lawnmower and I am doubting the wisdom of this as it is getting dark. I mow the strip across the road and as I am coming back into the section I notice that the mower is smoking. A short check confirms that black oil is pouring out of the top of the head, down the side and onto the deck bit.
Now any normal person who works in Health and Safety would eliminate the hazard by stopping the task until either a new mower is purchased, or you hire someone else with their mower. But no - I think - "How fast can I get this lawn mowed? Can I do it before it explodes?:" Following that very bad Health and Safety thought I go for the minimise option in the hazard hierarchy. I go and get our fire extinguisher from the laundry door, check that it OK for oil and petrol and electrical. Yippee it is, so I put it within two metres of where I am mowing and I mow FAST!!!!!
By now it is dark, I have no idea what our lawn is going to look like tomorrow morning. It was looking pretty stripey but the lawnmower and I were running. I did get the lawn done ( well I couldn't see the strips I missed so it must be done). I did wonder at various points just how sensible I was being - not. Half of the reason that I could not see was the mower was smoking so heavily. Aaron came back from his run and took a photo of me mowing the lawn with my fire extinguisher handy.
So anyone working in H&S - just ignore this blogpost or use it as an example of what not to do.
This lawnmower has done us well. It has been treated harshly but survived. We bought it nine years ago and it was well and truly second hand then. It has been so easy to use. Always starts, is light, perfect for me. Over the years it has had to be fixed several times. My trusty and wonderful Father-in-law has done that for me. Last time the throttle cord went and it came back from him with the throttle working backwards (where the prime used to be it was now off and visa versa) so that took a bit of getting used to. So in-spite of all the Kiwi number eight wire it has been faithful. We knew it was going bad as last time I mowed the lawn the entire head came off when I pulled the starter cord. Aaron used his handyman skills and put in more screws and got it looking solid again (much to my and his surprise - bless him his handyman skills are very much hit and miss).But even I have to accept that it is destined for the Lawnmower graveyard, never to mow another lawn.
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