I'm going to take a pass on this swap...I am still trying to get over the Thanksgiving that was supposed to be elsewhere....but ended up here anyways....and now onto Christmas LOL....and if that wasnt bad enough, someone decided to trash half of my outside Christmas ornaments tonight(some people are just sick, they tore up my elderly neighbors display as well!)...I almost lost the little bit of Christmas spirit I had, but I refuse to let some idiot spoil it for me AND I am determined to get into the full spirit just to spite them LOL! So if I don't talk to you all again before the season ends(I am sure I will)... I hope you all have a Happy Hanukkah and/or a Merry Christmas Donna

Hey jannaz, I spent a month in Sierra Vista one week... just kidding, actually I kind of liked it down there and really liked it up in Fort Chewbacca, er Fort Huachuca. Beautiful area. Anyway, what was the feed on the ghost stories, NPR or something? I like some good ghost stories around Halloween. Some of the shows can be really entertaining. If they do it again this year I might tune in. It's interesting how sometimes the radio can be more entertainment than the TV. Kind of a retro feel. Still remember my mother talking about when she was growing up and they'd sit around and literally watch the radio when a program was on. I kept hearing people talk about it and kid about it but she said it was true, though she even laughed about how silly it seemed, but at the time, it didn't seem silly. Guess it was just how they did it in those days. Not that we don't do silly things these days... like having the TV on while surfing and typing on the computer and not paying attention to the TV... or texting someone sitting next to them, or calling someone on the phone, who's in another room! And yes I'd have made a phone call I think on that one! Seems to me that haunting them about it is defined as a "moral imperative"!

Tony, yes you are right, however, population size doesnt provide a greater insight into the reasoning of a restricted occurence, it only illustrates that the refuge is slightly larger for that species. I have thought for a while that the three variables water, fire and competition all act independently and codependently to account for the biogeography in Australian plants. These variables be they a result of Aboriginal or natural climate change they have a massive bearing on species occurences and associated speciation. Wollemia would undoubtedly be suited to the highlands of the Wet Tropics however previous climatic deterioration has led to the demise of Nothofagus and the main element of temperate rainforests 'Eucryphia' is only represented by a single population on one mountain peak (which happens to be the highest in the Wet Tropics). Reiterating, Wollemia would grow in the current days climate as it is cool and wet however the competition from large mesophyll species would undoubtedly bump it out of the habitat. I once grow a Nothofagus cunninghamii in the lowlands of NE NSW where it grew amazingly well attaining a height of 2m in less than 2 years. I planted it in the ground where it quickly died due to a lack of water. This suggests that this species is restricted to sthn Vic and Tas because of milder lower evaporation rates and constant moisture. In the warmer subtropics it is unlikley to control is stomata as efficiently as required and thus it looses water to quickly. A friend has a N .cunninghamii growing well in a wetter site than where I planted mine- thus bolstering my presumption that it isnt temperature its water availability that restricts this species to sth locations. Nothofagus moorei is only common in locations where the forests leaf size is reduced to Notophyll and is wet AND the species only recruits following disturbance and freedom from the notophyll saplings/trees. Thus I think that all three variables are at play and possibly if fire wasnt an element of Australian landscapes that competition is more so a determinate than water. Wollemia has small leaves and thus competition with larger leaved species has undoubtedly resulted in its restricted occurence too, as well as fire because Eucalypts are so common in this area now. Maybe it has become restricted to this locality during a really bad climate deterioration event however hasnt been able to escape and re-expand due to the advance of Eucalypts and associated fire-phylic habitats. Now Im rambling.... From Kris

The only thing I could suggest is do 1/4 cuts of the new line of cut, mowing primarily 75 percent of the stripe you previously did. Then you should only have 25 percent of the usual resistance slowing the blade down. Mow two cross lines from whatever corner you want to start at so that when you complete the entire yard at whatever direction you normally do....you have zero grass slowing your starting momentum (the first 2 ft approx of the new line is already done from the 2 cross lines you made at the beginning). I've done this before to expand my yard and to cut into my neighbors area. I can cut her 3 inch grass like this no problem. The issue I think is not that the mclane is struggling to cut....anything....its that the intense amount of leaf blades and grass that fill the entire reel bed cylinder clog up the space available for the reel to turn. the blades are not being continuously cut after the first cut and so if you are cutting to 1 inch from to me looks at least 2 inches or higher (when you were at 0.5 - 0.75 (I don't know what the measure is honestly when the rear wheel isn't at highest)...in my opinion based on the first pic you sent....i'm not sure what the actual cubic mass would be of grass entering the cylinder...but it will surely overload the ability to turn. When I've cut high grass in the past I've had to reverse and empty the cylinder....spin the wheels then start again. A power reel would have no trouble in maintaining the spin of anything in the realm of grass/paper/twigs///whatever isn't metal etc... Does that sound right? I sorta just thought about it right now. I know cutting a smaller line like 25 percent or so makes sense....but it just came to me what really is causing reel to bog down. Same thing that happens with a rotary...its not often....but super high grass (foot or higher)can bog a rotary down even with my mammoth size husquevera with huge engine. I know I mentioned the power reel above but I still must be realistic with its capabilities as well..I know it will take care of your yard super easy just as like it did mine which was higher than yours but not as dense in many areas. I should have taken a before pic. That said if using a power reel on a yard that was 4 or 5 inches high...it would maybe choke. I can cut 6 inches with my rotary. I think a power rotary will surely handle higher grass more so than a power reel. Starting momentum by doing the cross line will surely help and then just cutting 20 or 25 percent of a line. I'm sorry you are having so much trouble. Once you do get closer to that 1 inch mark it really will be easy. I promise you. I know in my bruce lee vid its hard to see but there is grass flying...its probably .1 to .2 of an inch on my most dense areas. I'll take a fresh pic tomorrow. Cool trick with the socket wrench. A lot of people do that but with a power drill. I bought the kit when i bought mower, you only get free shipping on accessories when you buy a mower... After backlapping could you cut paper unfolded with the mclane? I actually still haven't sharpened either reel...and haven't done the maintenance to my power reel yet. TOMORROW is the day! I bought the siphon for the gasoline today on special, had a coupon! lol Tomorrow I'm getting some oil and gas and I'll be doing the maintenance to the power reel and then also to my trimmer which is failing to start. Draining oil from both machines.....and gas....and filling up. Also will get some carb cleaner. Seeing if any additional additives will help. And also might get that spark plug.....when I'm feeling my worse...which has been this last 2 weeks, I sometimes can only do the bare minimum, which is cut grass, and setup sprinkler if needed. I just started a new 75,000 dollar medicine on Friday, and I get to have fun injecting myself at home. I think its helping slowly.