First full day of Spring

I know I did a "Who" the other day, but both of these seemed timely, so I went with them. Today is the first full day of Spring here, so I want to introduce you all to the guy across the street.

Vvvrrrrrmmmm. The sound of a leaf blower roars across suburbia. It's him. It's always him. He went through his routine yesterday, but that doesn't matter. He needs to do it today. There cannot be a leaf on the lawn. Not one.

John Lawngow. Not his real name, but the name I have given him. I call him John Lawngow because his receeding hair line and hair color remind me of John Lithgow.

Really? My hair looks like that?

John has an obsession with his lawn. He will spend hours on his lawn on Saturday, making it look pristine, and then will come back out and do it again on Sunday. He will also come out and do it several times a week after work.

He seems to have a routine, or at least, this is how I have witnessed his work on the yard. First, he leaf blows. He never rakes. Following the leaf blowing, he will mow the lawn. After mowing, he puts lime in his special dispensing contraption and goes over the entire lawn. After that, he mows again. Here it is pictorially.

One of the funniest moments I have witnessed with John Lawngow was on a slightly windy day a few months ago. After having walked all around his yard for around 30 minutes, leaf blower going the whole time, he had all his leaves in a pile next to the road. Ready to blow them into the street, the wind turned, blowing leaves all over his lawn. I laughed, and so did Tiff who saw it as well, but John just shook his head and muttered something under his breath.

I figured that the snow would stop John from coming out and doing stuff in the yard, but he proved he has a tool for every job. While everyone else was out shovelling their driveways, he brought out this:

The thing I don't get about it is that it still seems to blow the snow over places you are going to need to go back over anyway. Plus, he has to push it all over the places he needs to go, just like a shovel. I guess he just saves himself the lifting.

He loves using his tools. Today, I witnessed him using his leaf blower to clean off his cars. I kid you not. I think he probably also brushes his teeth and dries his dishes with that leaf blower.

It seems though that even John has his limits, or, in fact, doesn't have a tool for every job. He paid someone to come and clean this up:

Liz saw the tree fall, as did he - he was standing in his doorway when it happened. There was only minor damage to the trunk/boot.

Why the obsession with the lawn and with his yard tools? Theories and speculation abound - he doesn't like his wife, his kids are disappointments, he likes being outside. But, me, being the responsible poster I am, I went and got the full story* - he loves the smell of lawn tool exhaust.

John's yard before being done. See the few leaves at the front of his yard - that's how you know he'll be outside soon.

John with his weapon of choice: the leaf blower.

* Of course, I made it up.