Before and after

There has been so little rain that I haven't had to cut the grass much this year. It had been fifty-eight days, nearly two months, since the last cut when I got the new mower out there on Saturday. I would have cut a week earlier if the old mower hadn't broken down.

Before: a bright sunny and hot day in the west 40 before I cut the weeds.

As you can see in the "before" photo above, there's not much in the way of grass. The lawn is mostly weeds and wildflowers kept in check by mowing. When it's dry, certain of the weeds send up their flower stalks, especially the wild carrot (Queen Anne's lace). It doesn't really look like it needs mowing until, at a certain point, it does.

After: almost the same shot, overcast and wet on Sunday, the day after I ran the new mower. Neat and tidy! Well, almost.

I was surprised at how much dust flew when I cut this time. The grass is burned to a crisp and there are many dead leaves and pine needles on the ground. The mower is a mulcher that pulverizes what it cuts; a cloud of dust followed me as I mowed. That wasn't too good for breathing, but I got through it. Now that it's rained again, I wonder how long it will be until the next cut?