The Rural Voice, 2002-05, Page 6PRICE, SERVICE
& SATISFACTION
2000 DODGE RAM 1500
REG. CAB 2 WD
V8, automatic. A.C.. tilt, cruise.
chrome wheels, nice shape. low
kms.. local owner. 9 8,900
1998 DODGE RAM 1500
REG. CAB SLT 2 WD
Loaded with matching cap. 360 V8,
heavy duty for trailer tow, 1 owner.
low kms. Reduced. 4 6,900
1994 FORD F150
REG. CAB 2 WD
6 cyl., stick. tonneau cover. nice
shape.
$9,995
1997 DAKOTA SPORT
CLUB CAB 4 X 4
V8. auto. PW. PL. tilt, cruise,
A.C.. tonneau, fog light,
aluminum wheels. local 1 owner,
only 72.000 km. 9 9,900
HANOVER CHRYSLER
DODGE JEEP
® 664 -10th St.,
aias�t Hanover
1-866-788-8886
Phone: (519) 364-3570
2 THE RURAL VOICE
Carol Riemer
How did we fall off the cutting edge?
Carol Riemer
is a freelance
writer who
lives with her
husband and
two
children near
Grand
Valley,
Ontario.
Spring means something different
to everyone. Some think of the warm
weather, others dream of what they're
going to plant. Some, like my
husband, can't wait to get out the
lawnmower. The hours he spent
pushing that old machine over hill
and dale could hardly compete with
the time he spent trying to get it to
run.
I admit that it wasn't bad looking
in its day. Decked out in smart racing
green, it was once the perfect
example of modern engineering.
Unfortunately, it also was so noisy
that my husband could never hear me
calling. The smile on his face each
time he started it up, soon led me to
suspect that, perhaps in his mind this
wasn't such a bad thing.
As the years went by, the blade
grew as dull as the shine. Eventually,
the rust that speckled its mirror -
perfect finish developed into a
number of well-placed holes. Being
more of a carpenter, than a metal
worker, my husband drilled a few
Hier- holes into the deck and screwed
on a wooden board, temporarily
securing the handle. The wheels still
wobbled, and it seemed to be losing
oil, but for some unknown reason, he
steadfastly insisted that we did not
need a new lawnmower.
The answer, as I saw it, was not so
much in getting rid of the old
lawnmower, but in finding a new one.
I was sure that once my husband was
in the store, he would immediately
take a shine to a new lawnmower,
and my worries would be over.
But, of course, life is never that
simple. Enter,our son, who,was about
to assume the added responsibility of
becoming assistant groundskeeper.
He had ideas of his own. Blinded by
all the bells and whistles that came
with the new generation of
lawnmowers, he was convinced
that if we couldn't get the thing to cut
the lawn on its own, the least we
could do was to get one with a wide
cut so he could get back to his
computer a little sooner.
I had one simple request. It had to
be red. Something to counter the
image of that gloating green monster
that lives in our shed.
Finally, we decided on the perfect
compromise. Wide cut, side chute.
colour red. That afternoon, my
husband brought the new lawnmower
home, and the whole family gathered
around, kicking the tires and peering
into the gas tank. This shiny red
example of modern engineering had
no scratches on the deck, no rust, and
best of all, no holes where there
shouldn't be any. Not even a single
fingerprint to mar its perfect finish.
But, starting it up, my hopes for a
quiet machine were quickly drowned
out. Unable to hear a single word I
was saying, my husband broke out in
a familiar smile. He handed over the
controls to our son, who decided to
take it on a quick spin around the
yard. As I turned to say something, I
noticed that my husband had quietly
disappeared. The door to the shed
was left open, so I wandered over to
see what he was doing. Inside, I
found him furiously polishing the old
lawnmower.
"Still looks pretty good after all
these years," he said, with affection.
"Uh huh," I replied, trying my best
to look interested.
"Should last another 20 years," he
added, checking the oil.
"No doubt," I sighed.
How this example of early eighties
engineering ever made it into the 21st
century remains a mystery to me. It
has exceeded all of our expectations.
Not only does it defy time and logic,
'but it keeps my husband busy each
spring, trying to maintain a machine
he once described as being on the
putting edge.0