Library Notes
November 15, 2003
By Pansy Hundley, Librarian.
If you recall, a couple of weeks ago, I said the mowing season seemed to be over, none too soon? And then I told you about my dead weed-eater. What I have not told yet is my latest lawnmower story. Just bear with me, as I lament about the latest chapter in the on- going saga of my John Deere mower.
It has mowed remarkably well this summer. Started right up, when asked to do so, with the aid, of course, of my handy, dandy WD-40.
A problem started to develop a couple of months ago, I noticed, with the steering. And, no, I did not run out in the street or run over the dog or mow down the clothesline pole. I just gradually had to turn that steering wheel more to get the mower to turn.
I applied WD-40 where I thought it might help the situation. Since it has made a wonderful, magical improvement in the starting mechanism, I was in hopes that it might do so with my problem steering. Not so! The WD-40 just ran down the steering column, got on me if I brushed against it, and that mower still would not herd as it should.
I talked to my mower-man, who is also my roofer-man. He found the mower for me a few years ago, fixed it up, as needed, and was persuaded to let me have it, for some dollars, Dollars well spent, I might add, over all, because I've made a lot of rounds around my yards on it. And I hope I make a lot more.
Mower-man said something was probably broken down in there somewhere. I looked at it, considered what to take apart, and decided right quick, immediately, that I had better just keep my handy little hands off it. Wise decision, Pansy Lee.
It was decided I might as well keep on mowing. It would finally break all the way and mower-man was so busy being roofing-man, he could not work on it then. He would have to wait until bad weather to get it fixed, when he couldn't roof. I said to him "What if it breaks when I'm out in the middle of the yard. I won't be able to steer it back to the shed to put it up?" To which he answered "Call me if it does and I'll come help you put it up."
So, me and John Deere putt-putted around, as necessary, and I had to turn the wheel more and more to get headed back in the direction that I needed to go in.
A few weeks ago, my yard didn't look too bad. But, with the cold spells coming, I figured it wouldn't be too long before a frost. I decided to mow, hopefully for the last time, while I had my day off. Hah! That Day!
I mowed the front. I mowed the back, trying to be as careful as possible with that steering.. I decided to go ahead and mow that back lot I've been working at cleaning for so long. I got it mowed, where I could, around stuff, and everything looked so good. I mowed more leaves than I mowed grass, I found.
I headed for the shed, to put John Deere up. I decided to head it in straight for the winter, rather than backing in as usual. Just as I turned around to head in, "whatever" broke all the way. Wouldn't steer a lick. I man- handled, or I should say, I woman-handled dear John into the shed, with mowing all done, whether I was ready or not. But I was so glad it lasted until I had everything done.
So, dear John Deere sets until roofer-man can get off all the roofs and become mower-man for me. aHopefully, there will only be a minor part broken, that can be repaired without taking out a bank loan. I want to keep dear John. He goes through my gate into the back lot and few of the riding ones would, I'm afraid.
So, mower-man has to work his magic on dear John Deere, just as he does on my roof.
Now, you understand when I said, "None too soon." I meant it literally. And I understand that I must stop talking, tell you about a book and get myself out of here, before I write the whole newspaper again. Let's talk about John Sandford, and the latest, which is "The Hanged Man's Song". Interesting title, don't you think?
"Prey fans everywhere have embraced the return of Sandford's other charismatic hero, Kidd -- artist, computer whiz and professional criminal -- and his sometime partner, sometime lover, LuEllen.
And now here they are. A superhacker friend of Kidd's named Bobby suddenly disappears from cyberspace, and Kidd knows that isn't a good sign. Then, when he goes to Bobby's house, Kidd finds him dead on the floor, his head bashed in and his laptop missing- and Kidd knows that really isn't a good sign. The secrets on that laptop are potent enough to hang Kidd and everybody else in Bobby's circle, just to start with, so there's no question that Kidd and LuEllen have to try to track it down - not to mention that Kidd would dearly love to get his hands on the man who killed Bobby. But before Kidd can get very far, the secrets start coming out anyway…..and they're more staggering than even he had imagined.
Because it's not just about the lives of a circle of friends and colleagues now, oh no ----it's about something much, much bigger. And much, much scarier………"