Confrontations . . .

Mower drivin is very confrontational at times. I'm not talking about the wayward golf balls that sometimes come my way. I've had a couple confrontations with mom-to-be Kildeer. They make a nest anywhere they want usually on the ground in short grass and sometimes in gravel. I've had to stop my mower cause of them standing their ground in front of me, squalking, flapping their wings, etc. When I figure out that I'm about to mow over their nest, I go around. That big turtle who hangs out by the pond near the 15th green likes to play chicken with me. He likes to wait till the very last second before he jumps into the water. Then there was that black snake. Didn't see him till I saw something fly through the air (honest!!) into the creek. When I looked in the creek, I saw this black snake glaring at me. Didn't know snakes could jump like that. I've had very young birds who fell or were blown out of their nests get in my way. I always wait till they get out of my way before continuing to mow. One bird a yr. ago last spring kept going into the unmown grass. I had to wait for him to move on every pass.

Yesterday I was defeated again. I was mowin tween the tennis courts and the swimming pool area. I noticed a monarch butterfly fluttering around. He decided to land in the grass directly in front of me. Even though I'm know around the golf course as 'Rough Mowin Mike, the ruthless mower of long grass,' I didn't think it would be nice to mow over him. Aren't Monarchs on the endangered species list or something like that? Ya hear about them all the time. I figured since I went to the Tea Party last spring and was buzzed by that red plane a couple days later, I better not take any chances. So, I mowed right up to him. He wouldn't move. I waited, he didn't move. He finally decided to try another blade of grass to sit on, but he seemed to have no intentions of getting out of my way. I decided to mow around him and did. He was still there when I finished the area. An hour or so later, I went by that are on the way back to the shop. He fluttered around the mower a couple times, then took off to the southeast.