Sunday, July 8, 2012

The Best of Intentions

A month ago we had our front yard re-sodded.  It was an unexpected expense brought on by the shoddy job done on the driveway.  So, for the past 5 weeks Ron has been working tirelessly to get the new grass to take hold.  We were told to stick to a strict watering schedule (which we did) and to not mow for 4 weeks, which we didn't.  Ron mowed it on a high setting the first time and we were ready to lower the mower just a tad this weekend.   The grass really looked great.....all thick and green.  All Ron's hard work had paid off............ 

Now, jump ahead to Friday evening.  We were leaving to go out to eat when Ron engaged in some chatter with our young neighbor.  She is 21 years old and cute as a bug.  She was out mowing her yard and Ron teasingly said...."You can just keep on mowing over to this side".  Ha Ha we all laughed. 

We went on out to eat and about an hour and half later returned home to find our little neighbor and her mom frantically raking up the hay field in our yard.  Yes.........Our Yard.  She mowed it (thinking of course that she was helping the old folks next door) but she mowed on the lowest setting of her mower.  She scalped our new lawn.  I mean scalped it bald, down to the dirt!  It looks deader that a doorknob.  But......how can you get mad at a sweet girl trying to help.  Our $3,000 lawn just bit the dust.

Ron is watering the dickens out of it but I swear I can't imagine it ever coming back from this.

We were sick for awhile but then just had to tell ourselves people are more important than grass..........

I've been talking to my niece who wants to move back to be near her daughters.  Ron and I talked and we are going to go look at the possibility of purchasing a condo for her to live in.  I don't know if we can pull it off but we just feel that it is the right thing to do.  She needs so much help and if we can at least put a roof over her head then maybe she can manage on her disability income.  It's worth trying.  I just wish I could do more.

3 comments:

Arkansas Patti said...

Bless her heart, she may never do a good deed ever again. Hopefully, it will survive the scalping. Grass is pretty resilient.

Jean Campbell said...

In four weeks of careful watering, your sod should have well enough established roots to recover.

That's probably why the instructions were to not mow for 4 weeks, they knew somebody would inevitably scalp-mow.

Unknown said...

Decades ago and it wasn't sod but new grass a similar crime was committed against our lawn by a well intended "Christian". I was away, Patti home in a wheelchair and God's will apparently called for my lawn to be butchered. Though unlike your story no one stayed around to rake it up or even finish outside of leaving a prayer and note. ... Fortunately our story did end well as the lawn did survive.

Caregivingly Yours, Patrick