Lawn Service

I had a Frankie Tail.  Worked on it for two days.  Down to the final draft.  In walks Fate with its gnarly teeth ready to bite me on the butt.  Accidental swipe of a thumb over the Touchpad and the whole thing disappeared tagged by Mr Auto-Save.  That Frankie Tail was to be was no more.

It’s one of those things that can really ruin a whole day.  I pouted for a bit.  Gave up on the pouting and went outside to see what Frankie was doing.

Frankie is skulking around the yard looking for something to eat.  I step in front of Frankie.  “Do something so I have something to write about.” 

Frankie ignores me and resuming his hunt for green grass.  There's been no green grass in his yard since temperatures dipped down to 19º F in January.  Frankie isn’t having any luck finding good grazing material.

It’s two o’clock in the afternoon.  It’s warm, partly sunny.  I have nothing else to do so I decide to take Frankie for a walk in the neighborhood in quest of green grass.

Luckily our next door neighbor has winter rye growing in his yard.  Frankie spies the sweet green and immediately he is all about getting there fast. 

Courtesy dictates speaking in advance to a yard owner about grazing Frankie on private grass so I am careful about keeping the Shelled Wonder from going where he isn’t invited.   

Southern Manners don’t stop Frankie.  Frankie is going for the green.

No keeping Frankie from green grass so I directed Frankie off the main lawn and toward the grass easement between the sidewalk and the road.  Frankie was very thorough about trimming all the long tufts of grass so by the time he finished the area it looked as if it was visited by a professional lawn service.

As Frankie finished edging the grass another neighbor in their car stopped to ask about Frankie.  I hadn’t met this neighbor yet as he travels a lot with his work.  He said his wife had told him about the 100 pound tortoise that just moved across the street.  He greatly admired how nicely Frankie had trimmed up our neighbor’s front grass strip. 

“Is Frankie exclusive to this lawn or can he come over and mow my yard too?’

“Frankie would love to trim your yard too.  He is especially good with weeds.”

“He is welcome over to our lawn anytime.”

Frankie Lawn Service has its official first customer.