Flop Bott

No Good, Very Bad, Idaho Winters give way to spring.

Eventually.

So eventually the snow melts, leaving the grit, decomposing leaves and matted down grass. Along with whatever else the wind blows in. Just yesterday the sun came out.

Had I not driven south and seen the sun, I would have wondered what that large, shiny disk was in the sky.

After going through a spring hail storm and passing by other drivers who had slid off the road, the sun broke through the clouds and shone down on a beautiful shamrock looking field.

J, squinting, exclaimed: "Mom! The co- co- col" - due to the awe he was experiencing, he couldn't finish his sentence. I nodded and put my hand my hand on his leg. "Yep, son, the color green."

In order for our yards to turn into that lush green color, we have to go through a few more steps than most. Before folks came by dropping off info for power raking, Padre had us lined up in the front yard with one of these:

The original "power" rake. Similiar to an attachment barbers use to shave off hair.

Under our own kid power we combed through the lawn, in various directions, and yanked ratted grass from its roots at an extremely slow pace. Despite a few of us kids lined up side by side, we tugged through the yard with initial zeal.

Padre had a way of inspiring us to work hard to get the lawn looking sharp. Supplied with the proper tools, a good pair of gloves and Dad's enthusiasm, I tackled that lawn with all I had.

I must have secretly loved the work out. By noon the lines each child had rowed were of varying lengths and inevitably tufts of grass were left along with our power rakes on the lawn.

It was a long process.

So last night I asked Padre what his plans were for the yard. Did he plan on mowing, raking, or whatever before treating the lawn.

"Just run a rake through it and then mow it." he said. "Just a normal rake?" I questioned. "Yeh." "Or use the power rake. I think I did a disservice to the lawn back in the day. That kind of treatment just pulls the roots out."

whew.

"So instead of yanking really hard, just gently, go through it with the power rake."

He went on to describe some sort of attachment that could go on the lawn mower to increase the speed of the project.

So the next day I went out in the lovely sunshine and slowly started to rake, glad the hard power raking days were over. Pretty soon Padre came out and was loading up in the car. "where ya off to?" I asked. Thinking he might join in on the fun.

"To check out those power rake attachment. The rate you're going it will take a week."