quote:

Originally posted by rontuner:
I've always mulch-mowed. Better for the lawn if you don't demand that manicured-perfection look. Many times I would mow multiple times a week to just grind up the new ones that dropped...

Even when we lived on a forested lot, this is possible to do.

We live on a forested lot. 2 acres, close to 30 very old, large oaks, maple, etc.

Mulch, mulch mulch. I do have a lawn-sweeper now. I replaced a big metal box on a trailer with a 5hp vacuum motor on it. That was a huge pain to hook up, empty, etc.

The sweeper is much easier. I have to empty it more often but that does not bother me.

So many leaves out there right now and it's been raining for two days. It was snowing yesterday. They might sit there until spring. lol

I kept 2 mowers... The rechargeable one got used most of the summer unless the grass got too long. During 'leaf season', the gas mower would get a workout!

Plenty of deer around here. I saw three along the road last weekend as I was driving home. I know some places where they're likely to be, but that's not a sure thing.

One morning many years ago, I was driving through a regional park to the park-and-ride lot to catch a bus to work downtown. I saw a deer lurking along the edge of a copse of pine trees so I slowed down. The deer started moving toward me and as it approached, I stopped. It kept coming and tried to leap over the hood of my car. I could see its white underbelly through my windshield. It worked itself free, leaving some scratches in the paint and managing to break my driver's side mirror off.

Another time, my wife was turning from the stop sign at the end of our road onto the main road. A deer leaped from the adjacent hillside, left a huge dent in the car's hood, and kept on going.

One night, I was driving on the interstate when three deer dashed across my path on a turn. I braked as hard as I safely could and thought I had missed them until I inspected my bumper the next morning and saw a patch of hair, skin, and blood on the corner of the bumper.

When one of my sons was going to look at colleges. we were returning at night from a trip to an out-of-state school and he was driving. He pulled into the passing lane to overtake a truck and just as we drew abrest of the truck, we both saw the carcass of a deer lying in our lane. Fortunately, he had the composure to straddle the carcass and our van passed over it without any harm.

About all that you can do is be aware of the hazard and drive carefully where deer are likely to be found near the road. That will improve your odds, but it's far from a guarantee. I've sometimes wondered if natural selection will eventually lead to deer that avoid motor vehicles!?

Big Al