Boogie Board Blunder (My Whoops of the Week)

Call me crazy, but I've always enjoyed mowing the lawn. What could be better than whirring around the open yard, enjoying the smell of fresh-cut grass, and the sun shining on my face? It is a peaceful me time that I tend to savor.


Since I have been mowing grass for over two decades (*gulp, that stung a little) I have had my share of little mowing-mishaps. Perhaps you can relate to mowing over your dad's new green garden hose that was hidden beneath the matching green grass.  Perhaps you narrowly avoided the annihilation of a little bunny nest that was concealed beneath the large oak tree in your front yard. Mowing the grass is no job for the weak, and I have learned that if I'm not on high-alert, crazy things can happen.


Yesterday morning the grass had finally reached the point where it looked less like a yard and more like an abandoned lot/wilderness refuge.  It was time to mow. I was enjoying my spins around the yard and the immediate sense of accomplishment from the simple straight lines of freshly cut grass.  The sky was blue and speckled with gorgeous white clouds. 


I was almost finished; I was rounding the tight corners of the last flower bed when I got a little too close to the edge and saw this (a foam boogie board that I picked up on clearance last week at Target) being sucked like a vacuum directly into the powerful mower blades and spit out the other end--all over the grass in a thousand tiny pieces. 

It was Christmas in July as the itty-bitty white foam particles sprinkled down and buried themselves in the tall grass.  

I quickly turned off the mower and spent the next 20 minutes attempting to rake up particles the size of rice from the grass and dirt.  What had been a peaceful morning of mowing and accomplishment turned into an extra task and a mess that I would not be able to completely un-do unless I spent an hour handpicking tiny rice-like pieces from individual blades.  Here are a few more pictures of the damage:

Once I put the boogie-board chomping monster away in the shed and I explained to the kids that their pool toy was gone and the mess was mostly cleaned up, we enjoyed a lovely time in the sun and in the little pool. It is easy to laugh at myself for making this gigantic mess, since thankfully it was only a $2 boogie board and a mess that is not permanent.  What is the craziest mowing mishap you have ever had??

I am thankful for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.... I am thankful for the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby.  ~Nancie J. Carmody