I was out mowing the lawn last week. I do the trim work with a hand mower then get on the riding mower to do the bulk of it. The trim work includes around the trees, posts, signs and the pesky water department shut off valves.
When I bought the house, I found out the hard way that you have to go TO the water department, in person, to get your water turned on. Yeah, you'd think that would be something that the real estate agent told me or at least the previous homeowner. I never lived in a house before, let alone owned one, so what the heck did I know? Anyway, I'm getting off topic here. I only know what that monstrosity in my tree lawn is because after four days of being in the house, I finally got to the water department and paid my fee to get the water turned on. By the time we got home from the water department, maybe 1-1/2 miles away, the truck was there to turn my water on. He slid back the cover and put a 10' long pole down this hole to turn on the valve to start water flowing into my house! Taa daa!!
So, that's how I know what the thingie in my tree lawn is. What surprises me is that it's not in line with my neighbor's valve and both valves stick up in the yard WAY too far. My valve is maybe 2 feet from the street while my neighbor's is probably 3 or 4 feet from the street. Not in a line, which is how I assume the water line runs. But, whatever. My problem is that both of them stick out of the ground a few inches. Once your grass grows a little, it's hard to see the dang things.
I've hit my neighbor's with the riding mower once or twice. I've hit MINE numerous times. WTF! I can't tell you how many times I've hit this damn thing. I don't know why. I go around it with the hand mower first. You'd think I'd see my "crop circle" when I'm coming back on the riding mower. But noooooo. I come from my neighbor's tree lawn, across the driveway and on to my tree lawn and BAM! Right into my water valve cover. You think I'm kidding? This is what I've done to my valve cover since I've owned the house.
What's that thing made of? Cast iron maybe? Look what I've done to it! I keep taking chunks out of it! Here's how far it sticks up. It doesn't look like much, but it's enough.
The worst part is that when I hit it last week, I hit it bad. It stopped the riding mower instantly and I almost flew right over the steering wheel. When my butt came back down onto the seat, I knew I hurt something. I haven't been right since.
That f-ing thing jolted me bad.
Now I'm blaming myself as much as I'm blaming the city. The city did a crap job of putting it in or does a crap job of maintaining it. I on the other hand, have cut my grass enough times to KNOW it's there and yet I still hit it. We've tried building up the dirt around this cover but you can see how successful we've been.
I need to put a flag into this dang thing so that my dumb ass remembers it's there next time. You know like the snow plow guys use to know where the ends of your driveway is. Either that or the next time just might be my last time. I really don't think my back can withstand another hit like that.
2 comments:
I wonder what the penalty is for vandalism and destruction of city property? :D How's that mower blade looking these days?
Seriously, be careful what you wish for. They destroyed our tree lawn replacing our shutoff valve stuff this past spring. Plant flowers or put some mini boulders around it - you'll remember to mow around those :)
Sorry to hear that the mower & valve have completely kicked your ass. Be kind to Ree and take care of yourself ♥
Oh, Ree, I'm glad that nothing worse happened. You seem OK, because there can be read between the lines the Ree-humor I love. Puttin a flag beneath would be really a solution or better:
Cut the lawn like beams of the sun coming from this damn thing, raise the sodes and fill in with soil until you have a little hill around the iron lid. I think this would avoid hitting it again and getting hurt yourself. <3
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