Another Rite Of The Spring/Summer Season In Southeast Minnesota

I realize it's almost May and that summer really isn't too far off anymore, but ever since our May 2nd snowstorm of 2013 -- when we received nearly 15 inches of the white stuff -- I'm always encouraged by signs the warmer weather is, in fact, here to stay.

And in my quest to celebrate the our brief warm weather season here in southeast Minnesota, I hit another milestone earlier today: the inaugural lawn-mowing of the 2015 spring/summer season. Yes, that familiar sound of the single-cylinder gasoline engine filled out neighborhood earlier this morning, as I tackled cutting our grass for the first time this year.

I'm happy to report the mower powered right up, the blade was still sharp, and the lawn now looks a little more manicured. There are still some spots, courtesy of Chance doing his business over the long winter that I have to patch up, and it's still not as lush and full as it will be later in the season but overall, things aren't looking too bad.

I haven't kept track, but I'm thinking this might be one of the earlier dates we've had to get the mower out. The earliest, if I recall, was back in 2012 when I cut the grass about a week after we moved in, around April 20th or so. The last couple of years, though, haven't been until later in May-- mainly because there was still snow on the ground!

Mowing the lawn is one of those tasks I never mind doing. Probably because our yard is small enough I can get it done in about 45 minutes. But also because you can see the progress you're making, and because even the least-manicured lawns (that'd be ours-- it certainly isn't going to be mistaken for the 9th green at Northern Hills anytime soon) always look better when you're done.

Have you had to cut your grass yet this year?