I'm not clear on whether this is an engine RPM problem or something else. Does the engine speed seem slow independent of how fast the mower is moving? If so the cause may be a carburetor linkage problem. It isn't something to fiddle with unless you can set the rpm to the correct speed. However if the mower seems to be miving too slowly and barely makes it up a hill and the engine rpm's seem ok, then the Personal Pace drive belt may need to be tightened. This fix is an easy one - simply refer to the owners manual.

I brokeup the old slab from a long ago garage to use as blocks for building 'stone' edging in my back yard. The walls are between 2 and 3 'chunks' tall-- about 12 to 15 inches. the bottom course is barely visible. Where i've run into stabilty problems a bit of our heavy clay soil usually works to level things. If that doesn't solve the problem I usually toss in a bit of mortar when i remember. After 10 years with dirt, moss and algae, and plants growing they look like field stone walls that are dry laid. You need to be careful to use old slabs with out rebar and try to get slabs of even thickness. 2 years ago my neighbors had thir drive re done and I asked for some slabs. The contracter was only too happy to give me 6 slabs about 6'x6'. This stuff was about 8"thick and a major pain to break-up with a 16# sledge hammer, but in due time I broke it up and built a raised bed along my drive (24'x 8'x 30 inches) It turned out a bit bigger than I had imagined but holds about 12 cubic yards of topsoil and about 2000 daffodil bulbs. Now I'm planning to fill it up with other yellow plants. I'm hopping trailing plants from the top and edging plants will help disguise the concrete until it gets some aging. All I know is that it was a lot cheaper than the building blocks/stone I could buy. diggerb

I have posted this on the Texas forum and had several responses and comments. As far as where I am is Canyon Lake. I have to be careful and not breech TOS for a business so I am being careful but will email where if requested. (A pain to do on an individual basis but it is worth it to me to see the word get out. I have also let the local chapter of Master Gardeners know and will let them spread the word. I am doing the same for the garden clubs in the area. I will be sharing it with customers personally as they come in. I feel before this spring is over thousands of folks in Comal County will know about it. I am sharing this mostly on GardenWeb to encourage any other smaller types of business to consider this for their area or gardeners to approach a local business with this idea. It is not a new idea but one that takes a concious act on the part of a business to be a part of the solution not so much a part of the problem. We all can do more and we need to just start wherever we can locally as individuals and as businesses to use common sense and save time, money and our resources at the same time. Not all recylcing ideas make sense to me and so I am behind this because it does for me and the position I hold and the area (rural) that I am in. I can help so I will. Won't you join me and be and advocate for your area with something that makes sense to you? Thank You all for considering this concept for your area. Happy Growing David

I know this is way late for the original post. Good luck in whatever you do. Trying to get governments to accept composting toilets and grey water systems is still something of a challenge here in the US. There are a couple places that do but they are rare. About a complete greywater system, I would probably be edgy about using such a "system" even if I could find one. The main rule about greywater is each situation is specific so there are very few general rules that can be of use. The more automatic and complex a system is, the less likely it is to survive and the more costly in manufactured parts. The simpler and more manual a system, the more functional. When I say simple, I'm talking like a hose from the washer to the mulch pits around the orchard and carrying the dish pan out and watering the plants with it after doing the dishes. Most of these simple methods are more appropriate to places that probably have a septic system but people want to make use of the water rather than wasting it. I know there is some one posting on the humanure handbook forum about problems they are having because they don't have a septic system installed on a property somewhere in Ohio. Any updates on your situation?