Wednesday, I proudly brought home a gas powered edger to make nice crisp lines between our grass and the sidewalk rather than the untidy sprawl of weeds it has been all summer. It wasn't until last night that we had a chance to pull it out and use it. I conscientiously read aloud the manual while Brian assembled it, filled it with gas, and started it.
And here is where all the fun started.
I decided to stand a good 20 ft back, to be "safe." Brian lowered the already running edger to the first part of our lawn, an expectant hush settled over the whole neighborhood at the new toy, all was well. Until it kicked a small rock straight at me, hitting my eye with amazing force. I might have screamed (dunno), but promptly twisted into a crouching position on the sidewalk. I don't remember much about the next few minutes except these tidbits: liquid pouring out of my eye, my desperate thought that the liquid was blood (so afraid to look), terrified to open either eye in case I couldn't see, Brian trying to help me into the house (me basically non-functional). There is hope for the future since neither of us were running around in panic.
I finally got some gumption to open my eye. No blood, could see, but blurry. I sat in the house for a few minutes and called my mom to make sure I should get my eye checked out. (clips from Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken flashing through my mind.)
Down we went to the Quick-Care. After a lot of bright lights and "torture," the doctor declared she saw some cloudiness (blood?) and a large divot in my eye. She called to consult my eye doctor's office (Lasik, 2 years ago). As fate would have it, he was the on call doctor last night. We drove down to Provo to meet him. He determined that the flap looked fine. Time and some drugs are what would fix my eye. I will be meeting him at his office this morning for a follow-up.
So, now I have a GREAT story about why safety glasses are important for my junior high students.
Showing posts with label grass. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grass. Show all posts
Friday, September 19, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Grass Wars III: Revenge of the Dandilions
Day 56.
I actually had to look at a calender for that. It's been quite some time since we started this whole Grass Saga, pun intended. At this point there are a few bare points, but mostly we are starting to look like a lawn. Finally. Observe the following:
But now there are other problems.
Our biggest frustration with the lawn was, and probably in a circuitous way still is, the weather. See, due to the cold, the necessary re-alignment of sprinkler heads and the way it snowed after hydro seeding and all, our lawn did not come up in the solid and thick carpet-o-green we were expecting. As a consequence, undesirables had a chance to establish on pretty much the whole southern front, and a good portion of the eastern front too.
Long story short even though we can ignore the wrong grasses, bind weed and clover (They are ALL green after all) last week we found it completely impossible to ignore this:
All I really wanted was a good solid summer. One to get the lawn established so that we might better have our defenses in place for this accepted unavoidable eventuality. But no, it rears it's ugly little head before we have a chance to even hope we have a chance.
Which is not to say we will give up.
Oh no, if the weeds think they have come home to roost they have another think coming. We are not going to roll over and play compost heap just because they say so.
We will fight back. We will fight and we will not give up till we have taken back that which is ours. We will have a lawn again! Friends! Countrymen! Utahns! Lend me your ears! What will ye do, ye poor lost peasants! Ye Chained and oppressed! What will ye do who have been captured and tortured by the enemy! These weeds that have you bound! They have sought your destruction! ARISE! Shake off this Oppression! Shake off your Rusted Chains! WE WILL NOT BE BROUGHT DOWN! WE WILL NOT BEND! WE WILL NOT BREAK! WE WILL NOT GO QUIETLY INTO THE NIGHT! WE ARE NOT DONE YET!
I actually had to look at a calender for that. It's been quite some time since we started this whole Grass Saga, pun intended. At this point there are a few bare points, but mostly we are starting to look like a lawn. Finally. Observe the following:
But now there are other problems.
Our biggest frustration with the lawn was, and probably in a circuitous way still is, the weather. See, due to the cold, the necessary re-alignment of sprinkler heads and the way it snowed after hydro seeding and all, our lawn did not come up in the solid and thick carpet-o-green we were expecting. As a consequence, undesirables had a chance to establish on pretty much the whole southern front, and a good portion of the eastern front too.
Long story short even though we can ignore the wrong grasses, bind weed and clover (They are ALL green after all) last week we found it completely impossible to ignore this:
All I really wanted was a good solid summer. One to get the lawn established so that we might better have our defenses in place for this accepted unavoidable eventuality. But no, it rears it's ugly little head before we have a chance to even hope we have a chance.
Which is not to say we will give up.
Oh no, if the weeds think they have come home to roost they have another think coming. We are not going to roll over and play compost heap just because they say so.
We will fight back. We will fight and we will not give up till we have taken back that which is ours. We will have a lawn again! Friends! Countrymen! Utahns! Lend me your ears! What will ye do, ye poor lost peasants! Ye Chained and oppressed! What will ye do who have been captured and tortured by the enemy! These weeds that have you bound! They have sought your destruction! ARISE! Shake off this Oppression! Shake off your Rusted Chains! WE WILL NOT BE BROUGHT DOWN! WE WILL NOT BEND! WE WILL NOT BREAK! WE WILL NOT GO QUIETLY INTO THE NIGHT! WE ARE NOT DONE YET!
FREEDOM! FREEDOM! FREEDOM!
What? Oh yes, I would love a piece of toast, thank you.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Grass Wars VI: Return of the Lawn
Day 42.
The green blight is gone, and the leprechauns have moved on to a better place. Slowly the lawn starts to fill in, mainly with the help of lawn grafts. Our hydro seeder sprayed a 2 foot area that we did not want sprayed, and as it came in better than 90 percent of the treated areas we have used it to begin patching little (read un-admittedly very large) holes in our turf.
But the Ammonia sulfate did wonders. we have been instructed to apply some weekly as we draw down the water application. I'm hopping in 2 more weeks you will see pictures of it's first haircut.
The green blight is gone, and the leprechauns have moved on to a better place. Slowly the lawn starts to fill in, mainly with the help of lawn grafts. Our hydro seeder sprayed a 2 foot area that we did not want sprayed, and as it came in better than 90 percent of the treated areas we have used it to begin patching little (read un-admittedly very large) holes in our turf.
But the Ammonia sulfate did wonders. we have been instructed to apply some weekly as we draw down the water application. I'm hopping in 2 more weeks you will see pictures of it's first haircut.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Grass Wars IV: A New Hope
Give me no grief on my numbering, George Lucas didn't do his in order either.
So we finally got hold of the hydroseeder. He said he figured we are about 2 weeks behind due to the weird cold weather. He suggested we go get 50 pounds of Ammonia sulfate, spread it thick and water it in immediately. The Fertilizer has a rating of 21-0-0, so it is ALL for the roots.
He did say that if this didn't help he would bring us some seed to over seed with. We set the chems on the lawn 2 nights ago, and so far it DOES look a bit thicker. we will probably post pics on day 42.
So we finally got hold of the hydroseeder. He said he figured we are about 2 weeks behind due to the weird cold weather. He suggested we go get 50 pounds of Ammonia sulfate, spread it thick and water it in immediately. The Fertilizer has a rating of 21-0-0, so it is ALL for the roots.
He did say that if this didn't help he would bring us some seed to over seed with. We set the chems on the lawn 2 nights ago, and so far it DOES look a bit thicker. we will probably post pics on day 42.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
28 Days Later... The Drama Continues.
We continue to anxiously watch the lawn. Our first picture is taken from the same spot as our last grass post:
unfortunately... This is only happening in small locations on our lawn. According to everything we have read, we should be entering lawnmower maintenance by the third or fourth week. meanwhile we commence our fifth and our lawn looks like...
Well, it looks like it either has some form of green blight, or we are besiged by poorly organised leprechauns. One of the two.
Well, as Bette Midler would say, "From a distance..."
No, that's not working for me either.
unfortunately... This is only happening in small locations on our lawn. According to everything we have read, we should be entering lawnmower maintenance by the third or fourth week. meanwhile we commence our fifth and our lawn looks like...
Well, it looks like it either has some form of green blight, or we are besiged by poorly organised leprechauns. One of the two.
Well, as Bette Midler would say, "From a distance..."
No, that's not working for me either.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Watching grass grow
Many of you may be completely unaware of the fact that we completely ripped out our lawn in favor of a hypothetical new one. Visions of thin-blade-dark-green-drought-tolerant-Kentucky-Midnight-
Blue-Ribbon-grass have been dancing in our heads.
Upon hydro seeding, we were told that we need 10 days of sixty degree + weather to see results. 10 days and 3 more days of sixty degree weather later, nothing had happened.
Then, on day 14...
Day Fourteen was nearly 80 degree weather, and apparently grass seed really likes that. That was Tuesday. Today is Thursday. It Snowed this morning. It still kinda looks like that, but with some yellow in it. Sigh.
Still hoping; it appears that the snow today is the last of the below 60 degree weather we will have for a week or so.
If you find yourself bored and would like to join our fascinating pastime, you're welcome. (Next week is watching paint dry)
Blue-Ribbon-grass have been dancing in our heads.
Upon hydro seeding, we were told that we need 10 days of sixty degree + weather to see results. 10 days and 3 more days of sixty degree weather later, nothing had happened.
Then, on day 14...
Day Fourteen was nearly 80 degree weather, and apparently grass seed really likes that. That was Tuesday. Today is Thursday. It Snowed this morning. It still kinda looks like that, but with some yellow in it. Sigh.
Still hoping; it appears that the snow today is the last of the below 60 degree weather we will have for a week or so.
If you find yourself bored and would like to join our fascinating pastime, you're welcome. (Next week is watching paint dry)
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