I agree twelvegauge, I'm a 70 yr. old fart who loves taking my time cutting the grass on my 28" Snapper. About a half hour before I start cutting the grass I'll put a can of beer in the freezer to get it nice and chilled. Or I"ll "cook up" a Jack & Coke to take with me on my grass cutting adventure. My next door neighbor is 82 yrs. old and we usually take a beer break halfway through our cutting our lawns to sit and relax and "solve all of the world's problems".

April through October is my grass cutting season. I usually wait until it's worthwhile to cut, meaning 4-6 inches and then use the Wheelhorse for trimming and the Deere with a 50" deck for the lower yard. It still takes 3 hours or more.

It's a great escape for me, watching the hawks soar and the green surroundings. Living on the side of a mountain, I get to enjoy the late afternoon sun, view of the valley, and the orange colors of sunset.

Come Fall, the Deere gets the snowplow and I'm glad for a break.

I am not yet 50 and I agree with you guys. Sometimes other chores compete for time, but the lawn always gets cut if it needs it.

I moved to Virginia last April and left my snowblower and dozer blade back in Ohio. We had 18 inches before Christmas and are supposed to get significant snow tonight.

I wihs someone had told me it snowed this much in VA ;) !

I have three young daughters and a lovely wife that need my attention more then my lawn, I am sure my priorities will change in the next 30-40 years though.

Yeah, when your town fathers suddenly decide your lawn looks more like a raggedy forest than a lawn, you will be visited by three old biddies, with ticket books under their arms, coming to tell you that the local garden club is not enthused about the way your yard looks, followed by the town cops, and then the lawyers!
So, ya might as well bite the bullet, and join the rest of us in our weekly endeavors, trying to stay in the good graces of the garden Club, and the cops!
All somebody has to do is see the local kids smoking in your weeds---and then you'll be in big trouble!
Better get a good lawn mower, and stay out of trouble!;o)

Our township, governed by locals with decent sense, enacted a weed ordinance a few years back. It became a tool for feuding neighbors to get back at each other. The ordinance was rescinded and now we're back to growing weeds again.

I'm closing on 52 soon and have a reasonably fast-paces job. I have to say I really enjoy my mowing time. I'm shopping for a new mower (my old Honda Harmony had a 30" deck) and I don't want to get over a 42" deck. Any bigger and it would cut down too much on my mowing time. Mowing gives me a change to listen to music, solve all of my immediate problems, or just relax and enjoy the outdoor time. I'm really looking forward to spring, especially with the prospect of a new mower to enjoy...

Rusty,

I love the way you see life. You are my role model for retirement :) though that is kind of a misnomer since you are hardly retired. Note to mention I won't be retired for at least 15 years.

Now that you are a "role model" you will need to be careful what you say !!! ;)

Gee, thanks, WH!
But, i retired from Auto body work at the age of 72, not because i was tired of it, but because i became allergic to the paint!
So, not being disabled, other than my Army given wooden left foot, i found that sitting around doing nothing would not be good for my longevity, so i set out to fix lawn mowers and related machinery. That has worked well so far.
Another season is coming soon. And, i'll be hanging out my shingle again.
I didn't know much about mowers, other than where to put the gas in, or how to sharpen the blades, etc. But, i found some booklets from B&S and Tecumseh, and with a good memory i managed to make a small business out of it.
I'm now 6 months past my 85th. birthday, and eagerly looking forward to another good year! I owe it all to a good wife, a good cook, a good house-keeper, my musical ability, and a beer a day, whether i need it or not! And, a half a grapefruit and raisin bran every morning, except Saturday, when i eat bacon and eggs!
And, thanks for the vote of confidence: Rusty Jones

Fellow old farts: Im 67 and moved from Dallas to a lake area,and I sure enjoy it. I can't hardly keep away from wrenches though, ( I was an aircraft mechanic for 40 years)I keep working on my Snapper RER and looking for others. Looks like if you wanted away from snow this year you would need to move to South Florida or the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. I was down in "The Valley" a couple of winters ago and you would not believe the number of "Snowbirds" or "Winter Texans"the PC name.

Yes, i have a friend who is my age, and every winter, he hooks up his big camping trailer, to his 1 ton Ford, and away he goes, to south Texas, to spend the winters.
Must be a nice area. After his wife died, the next year he brought back a very nice lady, to be his bride! I think she'll succeed at the job, if she can get over his terbaccy chawin'. I can understand how he felt. If my wife would die, i'd be plumb lost! I'd have to eat at Mickey D's every day or night! Shudder!)

Rusty: I salute you, Sir.

DC3mech: I salute you, too. Folks who recognize DC3s are getting scarce. (You and I might be neighbors.)

To All: I got a bit of a "fix" today. Broke out the ol' TroyBilt Horse and tilled my garden areas. Fired up the lawn tractor, hooked up the cart, and drove all over my 3 acres picking up limbs that the snow broke. I've never seen the like of snow in north central TX. What a winter!