Thursday, July 2, 2015

Lupines, Lawns and Gas

Sure I can be wrong…it happens once in a while.  I am not perfect.

I said in a blog recently that all of my Lupine winterkilled.  I was wrong.

Lupine June 30 2015

Where there is one I can always hope there are more. 

Recently we saw a whole ditch full of Lupine on the back way to Bemidji the day I had my Oral Surgery…there was no time to stop…but they were impressive.

Back in 2010 I had a few more Lupines in a few more colors.

Lupines 2010

Who knows what next year will bring.

Yesterday I mowed the lawn again, cleaned out all the birdbaths, did some laundry, had a nap and the day was over just like that.

I was almost out of gas for the lawnmower.  We used to haul the gas can in the old pickup.  I don’t want to haul it in the car.  It gives me a massive headache. My other baby brother very kindly fills the mower and the gas can for me over at his place.  My shoulders are getting older…I think I need to buy two small gas cans instead of one large one.  I might be ageing fast…but lifting and dumping a six gallon gas can into the mower…must weigh about 42 pounds…I can do it but sometimes we have to find better solutions for life’s little problems.  How do you haul your gas can and how large is it?

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21 comments:

Meggie said...


At my age, I may need to go to the one gallon can....laughing.

Cynthia said...

My solution: I bought a rechargeable mower! I only have to lift the battery in and out once a year to store it and there is no pull cord to fight with to get it started. The trade off is, it's not self propelled. Glad one lupine survived. So pretty.

The History Anorak said...

We call them lupins over here (no 'e'). I lost a load a couple of winters ago. I'm glad yours has survived.

DJan said...

Since I rent, I don't have to mow the lawn, just listen to that dratted riding mower going around the yard. That's one good thing about the lack of rain: we have little lawn growing and it's cut down on the mowing. :-)

Intense Guy said...

Sometimes being wrong is a nice thing!

The gas station is four blocks away - I put two 2-gallon cans in the car, open all the windows - drive straight to the station, fill the cans, drive straight home and get them out of the car immediately. The stink of gas makes me dizzy.

linda m said...

I have a five gallon gas can and I'm still able to lift it and fill the mower. Don't know how much longer I can keep doing this as my shoulders aren't hat they used to be. Keep thinking about getting someone to mow my lawn for me.

Karen said...

Hmm, I think ours might be 2 gallon containers? The container for the diesel for the tractor is probably 5 gallons. We put them in the car, sometimes in the front seat, we can smell the gas but it doesn't affect us. How do you make out fueling your car? It is lupins here. I've a few that have self seeded. They aren't as nice, don't flower as long as lupins bought from the nursery.

Linda W. said...

All our lupines here are only purple, so it's nice to see them in other colors. I'm glad your lupine came back too!

Terry and Linda said...

Turning things and washing windows and such is killing my arms and hands. I have got to figure out something better also!

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

Anonymous said...

Those lupines are lovely!

Tired Teacher said...

When I mowed my lawn myself, I filled and hauled a five gallon container in my car - to the station and back with windows open, a quick trip.

Sam I Am...... said...

Funny you should mention that and thanks for reminding me I need to "fill up". I have the same issue and it sounds like the same gas container. I just fill it half full now as it is the lifting it up into the back of my Tahoe that is the issue. The higher I have to lift something the less strength I have. Also, I have a little cap on the container so it doesn't smell up the car but you have to remove it when you go to pour out of the other nozzle side. As for the softner salt, I can carry it in the crook of my arms and I bring it into the house and put it on my dryer which is next to my softner. I cut the corner off there and have the lid off of the softner and empty it that way. So far so good but I can only flip my mattresses when the kids visit! LOL! I can do it but I have no control over the other side and i have broken things trying to do it myself.
Love the lupines!

Red said...

If you can hoist around 42 lbs , you're in great shape. With what you do in a day would put the average 30 year old to shame.

L. D. said...

My station is only three blocks away and I load up my one larger container and two smaller ones and fill them up. I try to put down enough newspaper in the trunk of the car that if it does leak out that it catches it. I don't understand how it gets out but the seals on the lids are cheap and I always have some gas smelling up the trunk. I need to mow but I spent my day rescuing plants and replanting them. It is a long story. We are cold today.

Anonymous said...

We gave up using/hauling gasoline when John was diagnosed with narcolepsy. He has used a reel mower for our small yard but due to injury, he has hired a guy to cut the lawn recently. John misses the yard work terribly but as you say, our age is catching up with us. Seems like every day we wake with a new PAIN!
I love those lupine. Hope you are feeling a lot better.

Anonymous said...

The townhome association lawn service does the lawn so no gas cans for me. The lupine is pretty. Glad it came back.

Saku said...

I've zero-scaped most of my yard, and the little bit of lawn that is left is easily taken care of with an electric lawn mower. It seems to take me longer to pull the mower out of the shed, plug it in, and return it than it does to actually mow the patch of grass.

Far Side of Fifty said...

We have to drive either three miles or fourteen miles for gasoline. I do okay filling the car it is not an enclosed space! Sure miss the old pickup...but my brother gladly fills my mower and gas can for me over in his equipment yard...so that works great for me, I just drive the mower over or put the gas can in a wheelbarrow and take it over it is just a short walk:)

Jacqi Stevens said...

So glad you have that surgery behind you. You must be feeling immensely better :)

Linda Reeder said...

The gas station is three blocks away. We have two one gallon cans that Tom keeps filled. He mows.
Yes, I think you should not be lifting a full six gallon can. That's asking for trouble.

Rita said...

I'm lucky, I guess. Renting does have some perks. ;)
I'm glad all the lupines didn't bite the dust this winter. (And dust it was with little or no snow!)