Me, cutting the neighbour’s lawn

22/4/2022

Ever wondered how I mow the lawn with only 5% vision? It's not easy, and it can sometimes create some unusual situations, bringing me closer to my neighbours.

Would you call me a domestic god?

In my effort to still remain active, I try and get out and cut the lawn, however it can be a real challenge. In most cases, it has to be like a rocket launch – perfect conditions with no shadows and plenty of sunlight. Sometimes, you don’t have control over that.

One day after work, my wife and kids were not home yet, and I was feeling pretty enthusiastic. I went out to the shed and wheeled out the trusty Victa lawnmower, filled it up with fuel and went to cut the lawn.

Generally, I get home latish, and by the time I started mowing on this particular day, the sun was starting to cast long shadows. For some weird reason, I decided to cut the back yard first before the front. That all went ok.

By the time I started the front yard, the shadows were very long, and the sun was about to touch the horizon. Using all of my 5% vision, I persevered.

There’s a patch of grass over the other side of the driveway and there is no fence dividing us and the neighbour’s yard. I was cutting away, when I had a funny feeling I was on someone else's yard. I stood there for quite a while, scratching my head, trying to work out where my own front yard was.

Who happens to rock up in my driveway at that precise moment? My wife and kids, wondering why I’m cutting the neighbour’s lawn. My wife gave me a raised eyebrow look (and you don't need to have any vision to see that, right guys?) as if to say, “Please explain!”

Nowadays, I make sure I mow the lawn when there is sufficient sunlight. I'm sure the neighbour would have appreciated me mowing their lawn, but not my wife.

So, what did I learn?

Don’t even attempt to cut the lawn when there are long shadows. There’s a good chance I might accidentally cut the neighbour’s lawn and have some explaining to do. Best to leave it for the next day when the sun is bright and shining.