New baby

There was a time (many years ago) when we thought the height of affluence was to own a petrol lawnmower! It was something to aspire to. Well, it took a very long time but we must eventually have reached the top of that giddy ascent when we took residence at ThisOldHouse. We adopted the previous owners' machine - a temperamental old beast that shared a similarity with our first car (a Triumph Herald) - rust! It lasted no more than 2 or 3 years (the mower, that is - the car fared little better). The next one was bought for a bargain late in the season and certainly held together better but, as reported last Thursday, it is heading for the scrap heap too. Its fault was not rusting, but engine trouble. Perhaps we are at least partly to blame for not following the maintenance regime to the letter.

Today the sadness and frustration experienced last week was swept away by the arrival of this little beauty. It has cost about 3 times as much as the last one but it is the business. We splashed out on a self-propelled version and it did take a bit of getting used to on its debut run, but the main lawn is now cut - for the first time this year. Can't remember ever leaving it so late - the result of a dreadful winter and our lack of attention to it last autumn and this spring. At least the weather was OK today - showers this morning but mainly sunny and a drying, though cold, westerly wind.