60+ years, and this is the last time for both of us

Mowing a lawn.

We have both mowed lawns all of our lives.  I started at about age 8, in Oklahoma.

My father paid me for mowing, but he did something interesting.  The first time I mowed I did it for "free."  This is in the hot Oklahoma sun with a push (non-powered) cylinder mower.  Then the second time I mowed, I got paid for the first time.  I don't know why he did it that way, but I learned a lot from him about how to do hard work and how to feel good about myself.  I wish he was alive to thank him.

We have mowed with push mowers, power lawn mowers, DR mowers, Kubota tractors pulling mowers.  In short, about every conceivable type of mower.   For 60+ years.

And now we are done.  It is too hard on our backs.  Since we got to Brigadoon (i.e., Whidbey Island) 2 1/2 months ago, we have mowed 13 times.   More than an acre.  It is hard work because it isn't flat ground. 

We are done with mowing....forever.  This was our final time mowing here and, since we do not mow in our Mesa home, the final time we will ever mow anywhere.   We aren't even taking our lawn mowers with us. 

A milestone in life: