Today I mowed the back lawn shorter than normal. Usually the mulching attachment on the ride-on mower cuts the clippings up very fine and blows them back into the lawn. This works well however there comes a time when the amount of new and old grass clippings becomes too difficult for my mower to handle. That day was today. So I cut the grass without the attachment. When it had dried and being a lazy so-and-so, I used the mower to “blow” all the clippings into one long windrow to be raked up and removed. My aging parents having a malevolent sense of humor allowed Liquorice, my five and a half-month-old Newfoundland puppy, outside to assist. Liquorice’s manners when I am using a broom leave a lot to be desired as she continually tries to wrestle with it. My fault of course for sharing in her pleasure in earlier times. The rake receives scarcely better treatment. With an energetic puppy wrestling the rake and redistributing the grass clippings Liquorice soon found herself imprisoned, in the garage.
She was paroled as soon as the grass was raked into neat heaps, about five feet around, waiting transport elsewhere. I knew I was asking for trouble, however my little darling does deserve some fun. Liquorice took keen interest, as I on my knees placed and pressed the clippings into a large, low-sided wire nursery tray. Then she started. Liquorice had to help too jumping into the tray pushing the clippings over the sides than grabbing a mouthful of escaping grass and spitting and spluttering to be rid of it. Noticing that my actions looked to be fun Liquorice too decided to dig spreading the grass clippings far and wide. Then excited she raced off in circles running through what remained of my neat pile several times before coming to a rest in what was once its center. I could not deny her simple pleasures again, so with perseverance and much laughter I eventually cleaned up that pile, although somewhat untidily. Having emptied the final tray from that pile I moved to the next, but Liquorice had anticipated my target and, charging pounced into it like a snowplough exploding the pile grass clippings. Liquorice, amused at her feat, then pushed herself further into the remainder of that heap and rolled over to her left into its softness, then back again kicking the clippings skywards to rain back down upon this once nicely groomed Newfette. Jumping up as I approached and ready to wrestle once more with the evil rake, Liquorice was covered, head to tail and all points between, with a green coat of finely mulched grass clippings. And I still had two more heaps to go!
Despite the difficulties to be endured in completing such a task one can only share in the playful spirit of their puppy at these times. But did my parents have to peer out of the kitchen window with such delight on their faces at my predicament.
Arthur Witten
Liquorice – I like helping my Dad!!!