I had a 35 minute window to mow the lawn last week. I jumped on the mower and took off. When I increased the throttle, nothing happened. “Crap”, I thought. “I’ll never be able to mow with the blade at that speed. I might be able to beat the grass down, but that’s not the look I’m going for”.
I saw Son #2, out next to the barn, filling the corn planter up with seed and took my chances and called him. By taking my chances, I mean, you never quite know what to expect during corn planting time. Many a time I’ve asked a question only to be met with a glazed eye look that says “Are you kidding me? It would be easier to shove a calf back into a cow than take the time to do that for you now”.
Don’t get me wrong. I understand corn planting is way more important that lawn mowing, but here’s my thought. If he can take a few minutes to help me, then both of us will be able to be happy bouncing around on a green machine.
I said a little prayer asking for a good mood to flood him and then called him on the phone. “Drive it out here a minute and I’ll look at it” he shouted above the tractor noise.
With a quick flip of his Gerber and he opened up the cover where the throttle was. “I think the cable is busted” he said.
Then the heavens broke open and goodness filtered down and settled over him. “Take it back to the shop and I’ll be there in a minute.”
At the shop and with another look he determined it was indeed broken.
I gave the local John Deere dealer a call to see it they had the cable available. “Nope, but we can have it by noon tomorrow” the irritating parts man informed me.
A quick calculation in my head equaled the reality that the lawn would be knee high before I would be able to get to it again. Ugghh!!
I think there was some leftover goodness on him because when I told him the news he messed around with the throttle a little longer. “Here, you’ll have to pull on this to keep it going, but it should work.” He had the Gerber clamped on the end of the broken cable. He’s such a good boy!
He went back to corn planting and I went to mowing lawn.
By the third time around my arm was getting a bit sore. By the sixth time around, I was getting a Charlie horse. By the ninth time around I figured out how to wedge it so I wouldn’t have to hold it. I could pull it, wedge it and make a couple of rounds before I started the pulling, wedging routine again.
One thing you learn on the farm is to be resourceful. Duct tape, wire, twine and scratching your head can solve many problems.
The next time someone says, “It can’t be done”, grab a Gerber and go at it.
