Still Mowin My Life Away . . .

Had a very productive day with the rough mower . . . YESTERDAY.  Today was totally different!  I brought it around to check the fluid levels and blow out the radiator.  Grass likes to collect there and clog the air flow.  I was gonna turn it around so we could put newly sharpened blades on it.  It would not start.  It was completely dead . . . Couldn't even get the gauges to light up.  Lynn, our legendary mechanic, got his gauges out and determined that the battery was as dead as a rock.  Replaced the battery and the starter would not work.  We knew it was getting bad.  The battery or the starter killed the other or maybe it was a mutual suicide.  We will never know for sure.  So they sent me out to mow some greens while Lynn did some calling around to get a starter.  No luck.  Will probably have what is needed tomorrow afternoon.  

This mower has several issues.  One being that whatever connects the engine with the transmission is badly worn and could break any time.  It is different than a truck or car drive shaft.  Parts are a factory order and will take a couple weeks.  They were ordered last week.  I mentioned that I hope it doesn't snap when I'm headed up or downhill with a creek or pond at the bottom.  I'm sure I would find out how well the brakes work.  There used to be a counter weight on the back of the mower.  The bolts broke early last spring before I started mowing.  They ended up removing it.  Since it holds the rear securely to the ground and I have rear wheel steering, I mentioned that as I would be careening downhill, I hope the rear wouldn't be bouncing as I was trying to steer away from the water or trees.  I think about these things and what I would do while mowin  and hope I will remember my plan if these kind of things happen.  So Lynn decided that today would be a good day to put that counter weight back on since it wasn't goin anywhere today anyway.  By the end of the day, it was back on.  He said one of the radiators was loose and ready to fall off.  Glad we caught that before it happened.  That repair might eliminate  a couple of the many rattles. We know the mower is worn out and should be replaced, but it isn't gonna happen, so we use it till it won't go and fix it enough to use it some more.  

So I spent the day on the 'Sidewinder.' the mower we use to trim around the clubhouse, tees and greens.  I did six passes around the fairways.  I got the front nine done today.  Tomorrow, I will probably do the back nine.  It only cuts a 5 foot swath and is a lot slower than the rough mower.  



My new mower drivin gloves came this week.  I used them this morning.  The high was only 69 this afternoon.  They are makin me mow my fingers to the bone anyway, so . . . 

Help may be on the way.  I've heard rumors that we might be adding a new guy next week.  If that happens, I'm hopin I go back to my old schedule -- Mowin till the rough is done, than probably have Friday off and not hafta come in on weekends to mow greens.  Not gonna hold my breath though, still have a lot of catchin up stuff to do, but it would be nice.