It's not easy being green

So, my husband and I decided together that it was time to hand down our 2-cycle hand-me-down mower from my in-laws and pass it along to BIL2.  And, we were going to save the planet by getting ourselves a reel mower.  Despite my dad's warnings that it was HARD to mow with a reel mower.  Especially when you let the grass grow too long (ah hem) and when the lawn is bumpy.  That would be the understatement of the year for my lawn.  But, we thought, how hard could it really be?

Really hard.  The first time.  Yes, the lawn was waaaaaaaay too long and the lawn was too bumpy.  My dad was 100% right.  So, my husband rolled the lawn.  Twice.  (he rocks)

And, 2 weeks later, it's not that bad.  Still harder than the old mower, but it's fine.

Pros of the reel mower:

1. No oil/blue smoke that makes me all stinky
2. Blades that are self-sharpening
3. One heckuva workout for my arms!
4. I can mow while Amelia's napping because it's just that quiet
5. No pull-start.  Not that it was ever really an issue.  But still, a nice feature

Cons:

1. It's harder to push
2. For best results, you really need to go over the lawn twice
3. Watch out for those toes!!!

So, overall, we're pretty happy with it.