Dawn Brocco's Life & Design Blog

Pine needle blowing is in my immediate future. Some guy was throwing out a leaf blower that was *broken*, after he bought a new one. He gave it to hubby instead who fixed it and now hubby has another piece of lawn maintenance equipment. As I spoke to him last night, as I do every day that he's at work, he mentioned my blowing the pine needles out of the driveway.

Oh no, not I! Yes, I. He's actually gonna hand me a power tool! Believe me, I don't *need* to know how to use power tools - ANY tools that use electricity or gas. But I guess he figures I can't kill myself with a leaf blower, so I'll be safe from myself! We'll see. I'll probably accidentally switch it from blow to suck and end up inside the baggie that comes with the thing.

The driveway and parking areas are gravelled, and for 12 years, I've been doing what he hates - raking the driveway to get all the pine needles up. The gravel ends up in the leaf/needle piles which makes them heavy and slowly erodes the gravel out of the driveway. Already the front of the drive is so needle-covered, you see NO gravel, and all the stuff hasn't dropped out of the trees yet - it's just *begun*. BUT, if I ever just waited for him to blow the stuff out of the driveway with the tractor, he'd be plowing snow AND needles at the same time. He never has enough time, so I take matters into my own hands. I can't help it if the gravel comes up too!

He also hates all the *muskrat huts* I make for him. Why? That time shortage issue again. Inevitably, it rains before he can get the huts picked up and hauled off. (Hey, I can't leave all this crap, I mean organic matter, on the ground *forever*!) Then he either has to wait for the huts to dry out or lift heavy huts. So, this new-to-us blower *should* make my job easier, as I won't be raking (yea) and stressing my tennis elbows, and make him happier - no more gravel in the huts.

But, I'm a female, so what was I thinking last night, as I mentally prepared myself for physical labor - ugh. What I was gonna wear, that didn't look goofy, as cars drive by me whilst I work, but would be warm enough, 'cause folks it went down to 29 degrees the other night. TOO early for that nonsense. Yup - thinking about my attire. I don't want to look like one of our female neighbors who dresses in an orange, or is it yellow?, slicker snowsuit thing when she shovels. Too weird. I'm a little odd, but not that odd.

But at least I have a little time before I need to begin. Hubby has to go to Kingston to get the fuse, which is the part he discovered that the dryer needs. Then he's going to the library, the hardware store, for more pipe fittings to install the new boiler that's been sitting in the basement for an entire year! (that time shortage thing, again), then food shopping. What a guy!
Onward.