I don't think I've ever blogged about my walk-behind weed whacker.
It is the perfect device for mowing the grass and weeds in my uneven, bumpy back yard.
I also use it to chop down the weeds under the electric fence line.
Yesterday I learned that one of its unadvertised features is
shooting rocks and breaking glass doors.
Whoops.
I was mowing in the far back corner of the yard when I heard a rock hit the house.
No biggie. I kept on mowing. When I turned off the engine, I heard another noise
and couldn't figure out what it was. Maybe birds walking on the metal roof?
I checked the roof - no birds - and the noise kept getting louder.
Then I looked over at the guestroom door and saw my problem.
The tempered glass was cracking every which way.
I put duct tape over the hole made by the rock. Why? I'm not sure.
Then I got on the phone with the door store.
I thought I'd have to buy a new one, but it turns out
Then I got on the phone with the door store.
I thought I'd have to buy a new one, but it turns out
I could simply have the glass replaced on the old one. Who knew?
All I had to do was remove the door and take it to town.
I made big Xs with masking tape on both sides of the glass first
and somehow managed to get the door into the bed of the truck
before all the glass fell out. So far, so good.
I couldn't think of anything to cover the hole in the house and pushed
the wicker loveseat in front of the opening as a last resort.
It wouldn't stop any of the likely suspects (Johnny, snakes, flies, mice)
from gaining entry, but it made me feel better.
The door, Alex and I made it to the door store, and the glass was replaced.
Then all I had to worry about was getting back home
over the 11-mile bumpy, rocky, washboardy dirt road without it breaking.
Luck was definitely on my side, though driving 5 miles an hour surely helped.
The door is back in place, and I haven't found any snakes in the house yet.
I haven't found the rock, either, but I'm sure it will turn up.
Life goes on.
Looks like a nifty yard tool.
ReplyDeleteIs this the first time it has taken a shot at the house?
At least you have a 'door place' local enough to get it fixed quickly.
Was Smooch left on guard duty while you and Alex did the run to town?
Hope Alex was OK with the solo ride to town. :) Good Practise!
M in NC
This was the first rock shot. I'm going to consider it a fluke and just be extra careful next time. Smooch did stay home. I couldn't have handled both of them, along with the stress and the heat.
DeleteSmooch had to stay home and guard the house? Miss Worry Wart is now Miss Wistful. Rebecca 2
ReplyDeleteAt her age, I think Smooch prefers staying home now.
DeleteYikes, if that happened here, I'd be in deep doo-doo without a door. How nice that you could get it repaired so fast. I've been curious about the walk-behind weed eater; with so many fence lines here, it could become the most frequently used piece of equipment. Might have to take that plunge!
ReplyDeleteCheck out the reviews on Home Depot of the Cub Cadet String Trimmer
Deletehttps://www.homedepot.com/p/Cub-Cadet-22-in-159cc-Gas-Walk-Behind-String-Trimmer-Mower-ST-100/204627329
It's pretty amazing.
I have the walk behind DR string trimmer, and it worked great...until it didn't. Now I have to figure out why it won't run...
DeleteAaaah, the adventures we single gals get to go on. We truly are the mothers of invention. Just glad you were able to get same day service.
ReplyDeleteThere are days, and yesterday was certainly one of them, when this single gal wishes she weren't.
DeleteI can totally relate to that.
DeleteThe adventures of the 7msn Ranch never cease to amaze me.
ReplyDeleteI know the exact sound you are referring to. I was sitting in the Living Room at the Retreat Center, enjoying the peace and quiet after the landscaping guys moved to the back 40 to finish up. I kept hearing this krinkly, crackly sound, like a low-voltage wire skipping over a metal roof. I walked to the front door and lo and behold, the storm door had been hit by a flying rock from the weed eater and was commencing to disintegrate before my very eyes. That was one large feeling of helplessness.
ReplyDeleteYour description of the sound is perfect.
DeleteGood Golly, being a homeowner is fun... I'm glad that no snakes moved in - that was my first worry.
ReplyDeleteYou could have shot your eye out. I hope you wear protective gear while using the rock-shooter.
ReplyDeleteAnd I look at Alex and it makes me want another dog so badly....gives me baby dog fever.
I was wearing protective glasses this time (sometimes I forget), and this was certainly a wake-up call to wear them all the time.
DeleteI think a bike helmet would be better
DeleteWow, glad to hear that everyone is safe and the door glass is repaired!!
ReplyDeleteSuperwoman to the rescue!!
Oh. My. God.
ReplyDeleteI haven’t laughed so hard at a post in a long time. Wow. I even had to read it out loud then to Tall Paul. Laughing WITH you, of course, not AT. I think my favorite part was the wicker loveseat in front of the missing door. Because...why not? Made total sense to me.
And, the door store? There really is one of those? I can’t believe they could fix it same-day. Because, that would be horrific for me...having just a loveseat in front of that door overnight...in the dark. Though I think I’m maybe your only guest to ever lock that door at night, aren’t I? :-)
I think every guest who has stayed in that room locks the door. City people...geesh. And there really is a door manufacturer in Belen. I knew that my builder got all the doors from there, so I called them first and voila! Worst customer service experience in my life, but they got it done in an hour so I should just shut up now.
DeleteYou are nothing if not resourceful! I can't even imagine living out in the middle of nowhere and having to be as handy as you have become. This girl is so not mechanically inclined whatsoever! Thus, I'm a girl of the suburbs and call for help as needed. Hang in there! :-)
ReplyDelete