It’s hump day for those working away. That midpoint that inspires hope. Maybe thoughts of making it an early weekend after Thursday have come to mind. Those meetings today don’t seem as important as the weekend weather forecast.

I guess I shouldn’t have noted that it’s Hump Day because I went out to mow my yard and the mowing deck belt broke as soon as I engaged the blades. So, I push cut for hours today. And when I say push, I mean push. I don’t have one of those self-propelled jobs.

And there are now a few more things on the to-do list. That tractor is so old I haven’t been able to find any YouTube videos on how to replace the belt. It’s at least 27 years old and as one of my best friends reminded me, I usually keep things like that till I kill it. And a belt isn’t a killer but getting someone else to do it because this almost 70-year-old body isn’t good on the ground under tractors anymore. Yes, I can do it. Yes, I could pay for it to be done. Yes, it isn’t dead. But is it smart money spent or the time and effort?

I’m beginning to think it might be time to replace it. Plus, that will give me time to fix the old one when I can get my sons help and give it to him when he gets a home with a bigger yard. Push cutting the whole lawn this size in the coming heat won’t be smart and I won’t do it.

Onto more pleasant things. Like nature which I’ve been enjoying being outside today. Let’s see, some baby snakes, many varieties of birds. Oh, and my favorite hawk buzzed the backyard. This morning was a mother deer with her fawn again. Another newborn couldn’t have been more than a day or two old. And now just after some dinner I see our woodchuck grazing in the backyard.

I couldn’t tell you all the different smaller winged objects I saw buzzing around me today. It was nice to be out, even though it was working.

Random Thoughts of the Day

• Making prints for my grandchildren is a labor of love, I do have to finish it up before they get here tomorrow.
• These are the beautiful mid-Atlantic days of summer. Low to mid-80s, mild humidity a breeze and sun with just the occasional cloud.
• I hear my car saying let’s go for a ride tonight. And I might just listen to it and put the top down.
• You will have to excuse me for a bit. I have to go wash off a day’s worth of work. More madness to come later.