To Every Thing There is a Season...

For the nine days we were in Prague, Fox Mountain was blessed with a lot of rain and cool temperatures; ideal weather for grass. It really needed to be cut when we got home. We use our Troy-Bilt lawn tractor (a 1997 model with many hours of service) to cut the the lawn and it seemed to be up to the task with its' usual efficiency.

But, after cutting half the lawn, the mower began to slow until it was just creeping along. Then a warm oily fluid sprayed on Rick's ankles from under the deck. The transmission had exploded...

Replacing a lawn tractor transmission is expensive (more than half the original cost of the mower) and a dicey proposition at best (it could happen again). So, after some intense shopping, discussion and careful procrastination, we bought a new mower.
The new mower has a 22 horsepower engine (as I recall, more than one of our old cars), cruise control and an automatic hydrostatic transmission (which means no shifting or braking). And, thankfully, it fits in the tool shed where the old one was stored. It also has a cup-holder that will hold a bottle, a cup, a glass and ice.

And it came with a John Deere hat. Is that cool or what???