We currently are the owners of a very tall, yet soggy back yard. I cut the front yard before the current period known as "The Sun Doth Forsake Us", and thus haven't been able to cut the back yard. The rain brings that double-edged sword: you can't cut grass because it's wet, but it also makes the grass grow twice as fast.

Last summer when we bought our house, my grandmother donated her 12 year old lawn mower. The engine runs great, but the deck and handle bar is rusting out and the clippings flap is coming off (currently held down with blue painter's tape). There's a place just across the road that works on small engines, and I probably could have asked them to help repair the mower, but I figured it would just as easy and a better decision to get a new one.

Wow - I was running off prices from 10 years ago when my parents bought a $99 mower from Wal-Mart. Now the cheapest is about $140.

All hail Craigslist. I found a 5 year old Craftsman mower with a 6 horse-power engine and bagger for $65. Not too shabby.

Except whenever I go to pick up a used item and hand them cash, I always feel like I'm participating in some sort of black-market deal that could go wrong at any moment. How, I'm not sure.

The awkwardness and increasing rainfall didn't help out, but all in all, I saved some money. I want the mower to last at least 5 years - and we're still keeping the other one in case we ever want to cut the grass twice as fast!

/Here's to hoping the rain will stop so I can actually use the thing.