Mowing for the first time

Mothersday in Austria - a weekend where I don't need to do anything because the kids are doing the cooking, washing up and all. So what is better than to have all the time you want for what you enjoy to do in spring and summer - mowing with my scythes. I was excited that it is now the right time to start mowing the young grass. But first the difficult decision for me - what blades am I using this time. I decided on a short 65cm and my long 85cm blade with snaths made by Peter Vido. Happy and excited I went to mow and was surprised that just after a short while I had to pause and even sit down to catch my breath. What had happened - I had forgotten to get myself in contact with the soil, grass, snath, blade and my breath. Sitting there made me aware how important this is and I used the time to do so - never thought this could happen to me.

I mowed a smiley face but it is hard to see because the grass is not all the same hight and I couldn't get myself in the right position to take a good photo. In a week or so I'll mow the inside of it and I hope it will be more visible then :)

But mowing is not all there is to do. What to do with the grass if no farmer wants to have it and you yourself have no animals who could eat it? There's only one possibility left - compost heap. I enjoy piling the grass into a neat heap, space enough for all the grass to come during the season. Fresh grass is HEAVY - it does not look like it and every time I'm surprised about it. But with help, it's shared work :)