Marye Audet
DCL
There was a time when butter and cream graced every dinner table along with a mountain of homemade bread, potatoes, meat with the fat clinging to it, and sugary desserts. People ate joyously, thankful that their hunger was satiated and didn't worry overly much about calories, carbs, and the flat belly diet.
Everything from kneading bread to mowing the lawn was powered by the calories in the food on the dinner table. Few people were overweight and gym was a place you square danced in elementary school.
I am kind of old fashioned and I happen to think that calories are a very green energy source. So I cook well and often but in exchange for that I expect my wood to be chopped and my grass to be mowed. Boy power is my fuel of choice.
Boys are fascinating creatures. I find that an overabundance of testosterone and an under-abundance of chores makes them antsy and often creates altercations between siblings. Burning off the energy playing basketball is good but burning off that energy mowing the yard? Ahhh...that, my friends, is why teenage boys were created.
A "Reel" Workout
It wasn't difficult to convince Ethan, my 15 year old, to use the reel mower. Both of my older sons are trying to get in shape before our oldest son visits next spring. The oldest son is in the military overseas and spends his off time in the gym. This means that the two teen boys maintain a good natured, long distance competition to see who can build the most muscle.
Watching Ethan work his abs one day I casually mentioned that mowing with a reel mower was great for creating that elusive six pack. "In fact, it works legs, shoulders, and upper arms as well."
"Seriously?" His eyes took on a calculating gleam.
"Serious. And..." He waited for my next words, the coup de grace. "I used to mow with one when I was twelve."
That sealed it. Anything his mom could do at twelve he could certainly do at fifteen and get a leg up on his muscular competition in the process. I walked out of the room smugly, feeling a bit like Tom Sawyer whitewashing the fence.
You know what? He loves that mower. The blades whirrrr and there is nothing to interfere with his iPod. He whistles as he mows and he enjoys the fact that he smells like sweat and outdoors afterward rather than gasoline and exhaust fumes. At least until I point him in the direction of the shower.
I enjoy not hearing the loud mower. The grass looks great, and there is never a problem. Boy power is the key. Where I used to get excuses like:
- I can't start the mower
- Dad forgot to buy gas
- The engine overheated
Now, I just hear...nothing.
Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Mower?
I always laugh when I hear grown men talk about how hard reel mowers are to push. People don't want to push a simple machine and yet they will spend hundreds of dollars at the gym to build endurance and strength, and get in shape.
Push mowers are not that hard to push. The grass needs to be dry and you need to move smoothly, in a forward direction. We have a huge yard and it is cut in about the same time it took to cut it with the gasoline mower or the tractor. There are financial benefits, too.
- You won't be buying gasoline to run it.
- Reel mowers are quite inexpensive.
- Maintence can be done easily at home.
If you are into buying American, many reel mowers are made by American Lawnmower Company, including Scotts. Check carefully though, some models of these are being made in China.
The mower works great. I am happy. The boy?
He will need new shirts soon. He loves the effects of his new workout.
