Odd, yes. But I find a certain quiet solitude every time I mow the lawn. We do own a push mower (and it does run on gasoline) and it takes me about two hours to mow the entire lawn. The drone of the mower blocks out any excess noise (barking dogs, whiny children etc), and I'm only left with my thoughts and some physical activity.
I suppose the phenomenon is similar to that of running, hiking, swimming or bicycling, although with mowing I actually get to check a chore off of the list. The activity is solitary, yet relatively monotonous. I find such activity particularly useful after a stressful day or event when I need to vent some frustration. Inevitably, I am much calmer at the end of the task, if only from exhaustion.
The back lawn grows about twice as fast ast the front, and its thick lush grass lends itself to lots of yard games, a cozy place to nap, and frequently clogging up the lawn mower. Thus, I have remembered to only make half paths as I mow that section. To mix it up, I find myself mowing in variouos patterns. Do I go horizontal, vertical, curvy, criss cross or circular today? Perhaps the choice of pattern says something about my frame of mind at the time. Straight lines are very purposeful. If I get to the point of mowing in ever smaller circles, it's because I'm in a more whimsical mood. I have even been known to make criss-cross patterns, not unlike celtic designs, in order to entertain a 7 year old who trailed behind in the freshly mowed paths. Regardless, the lawn eventually gets mowed, and looks great for about 3 days before it is beckoning to be mowed again.
A couple of lawn care tips from the farm: In order to keep our lawn healthy, we don't use any chemical fertilizers or pesticides. We also mow only down to four inches, which keeps the grass from turning brown.
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