My Battle To Cut Gnarly Grass On Very Overgrown Mountain Land
I was crazy to take on doing a very difficult grass cut on steep overgrown mountain land with hidden trip hazards and overwhelming obstacles and dangers
THE DAWNING LIGHT # 141 Saturday June 3, 2023
STILL MOUNTAIN CHRONICLES SECTION # 17
Photo Credit: Chinmayan “The Road To Shambhala Monastery”
I was crazy to take on doing a grass cut on steep overgrown land with hidden trip hazards and overwhelming obstacles and dangers
Breaking A Promise to Myself
I promised myself I would never do it again…no matter what…but here I am doing it again anyway.
It is obvious now to never say never because things change.
Day One Of A Gnarly Grass Cut
After a lifetime of cutting grass for clients, I promised myself that I would not accept another project….and yet, this afternoon I am doing a gnarly grass cut with a big weed-eater for an out-of-town client who needs help.
When I took this on, it was after being told that the property needing to be cut was small, the grass was only 9 inches tall and easy to do. The client said they had done it last year in an hour.
But when I got here today, I discovered the land is steep, rocky, with all kinds of trip hazards from uneven ground; that the grass is chest high and tangled and that the lot is huge.
This lot will require all the skill I have developed in a lifetime, persistence and a great deal of being very careful so as to not get tripped and take a fall.
I was not looking for this project, and I am not sure how the client got my number, as we are not advertising for offering grass cutting as a service.
But, at the time when the client called out of the blue, our finances were very low, so I thought I could help out someone and add a little income for us.
Photo Credit: Chinmayan
But the main reason I accepted this project is that Ani’s teacher is giving an all day teaching event at his main center, which is called Shambhalala Monastery in a few days. Ani has been volunteering there for several days to help put the landscaping in good order and clean the temple to prepare for the event.
She has been working so hard for all those days, and getting so exhausted by the time she got home that I thought I could help her by driving her to Shambhala and back so that she could relax and we could be together. I thought I could get the grass cut done while she was volunteering.
Both Shambhala and this lot to be cut are located in Lake County, about 50 miles from Still Mountain, which takes about an hour and a half to drive there one way, and the same amount of time to return.
I naively thought that with all my experience, I would be able to do the grass cut quickly enough to have a few hours left over to work on “The Dawning Light.” It turned out to be one of the most difficult and risky grass cuts I have ever done.
Photo Credit: Chinmayan “Gates to Shambhala Monastery”
ABOUT SHAMBHALA MONASTERY
Shambhala was built on the top of a mountain in 2013, designed down to the smallest detail by Ani’s teacher.
It’s unique campus consists of a large circular plaza with a large 51 degree pyramid Temple in the center, surrounded in a circle by six large monolithic domes, each crowned by a golden pyramid.
Underneath the plaza and its buildings is a vast number of underground rooms, workshops and other facilities all connected by corridors that flow between the six domes and the pyramid.
Photo Credit: Chinmayan “Shambhala Monastery with Pyramid Temple”
The monastery is stunningly beautiful and well designed with perfect symmetry between the structures, while the outer rim of the plaza has ponds with fountains and waterfalls and many statues.
It is an amazingly innovative and peaceful place, which I will share more about in later issues.
Photo Credit: Chinmayan “Pyramid Temple at Shambhala Monastery”
To find out more about Shambhala and their charitable activities, as well as the Shambhala Healing Tools that the monks and nuns who live there make and sell around the world,
Check out their website:
https://shambhalahealingtools.com/
DAY TWO OF MY MOST CHALLENGING GRASS CUT…Journal entry for June !st,2023
This morning we first went up the mountain to Shambhala Monastery, where Ani is volunteering again today, before I came to the lot at the foot of Mount Konocti.
I got a late start yesterday because once I saw how huge this lot is, I had to call the owner to get a price increase. He was surprised to hear that it was so overgrown, but I explained that all the rain of this winter, especially after all the years of drought, has caused all vegetation to grow fast and high.
Still, I managed to get a good start by first finding and cutting the property line where it crossed the land, and then cutting the edges of the lot along the two streets which border it.
The lot is a big pie shaped expanse of sloping ground covered in waist high grass, with an uneven surface with hidden holes and hazards in red dirt with shards of black obsidian sticking out of it.
The slope is challenging in places where there are large boulder fields and where I have to cut under low hanging tree branches.
But the hardest and most perilous part is that some time ago, a large number of Coyote bushes were cut down and removed, leaving thick stubs 3- or 4-inches high sticking up all over the lot.
Photo Credit: Chinmayan “My String Trimmer and Truck”
These are trip hazards hidden in the tall grass that could cause me to have a spectacular fall if I am not careful. I am doing all the work today in sandals rather than boots to that I can feel for these stubs with each step and avoid taking a fall and possibly tumbling down the slope.
This lot is part of a neighborhood called “The Riveria” built on a series of hills and canyons at the foot of an ancient volcano called Mount Konocti which dominates the area. The red soil aid abundant obsidian must come from eruptions long ago.
The first cuts I made on day one defined the huge area that had to be tamed.
I had made a few “blocking cuts”, which is where large sections are laid out into smaller chunks by cutting a line around them.
This is a good start, but as far as I had gotten before it was time to return to Shambhala and pick up Ani for our trip back to Still Mountain.
We pushed hard to get an early start so when I arrived it was still in the cool of the morning.
I know from years of cutting grass that its best to ignore how huge the project is and just concentrate on doing one blocked out section at a time.
As my old daddy used to say “Son, they best way to make a journey of a thousand miles on foot is taking one step forward at a time.”
I have been hard at it for four hours so far and have finished about half the lot. The areas I have cut look good with the dead grass, bushes and tangling vines laid down in a uniform flow.
Photo CredIt: Chinmayan “After battling to cut the top of El Dorado Way”
The parts remaining are mostly open grass land on the steeper slope—challenging but not impossible. Someone dug holes randomly throughout these areas, some big, so smaller but all another hazard hidden under the grass.
The morning has long past, so the bright sun is building into a hot afternoon.
I promised myself to not push, push, push so I have to take breaks every half hour when I start to get too hot.
Then I have to clamber down the slope and carefully make my way down the steeper edges of the land along the road, then walk the 100 feet up hill again to reach the sanctuary of my truck parked under the shade of a big tree.
On each break, I sip from the thermos of cool water, have some snacks, and take a 10 minute meditation session to recharge my energy before going back out for more cutting.
I have a big kick ass heavy duty Stihl string trimmer that is loaded with the thickest .130 line and a powerful engine. It is heavy but anything smaller would not be equal to the challenges of this lot.
Fortunately, there is a cooling breeze and it is not yet a scorching 100 plus degrees in the shade as it will be in the heat waves coming later in the summer.
Victory Is Mine!
It is late afternoon. I have been here for 8 hours of battle of me against this big lot.
I am utterly exhausted but now the entire lot is cut.
When I got to the very last section, I was so focused and head down into the work that I didn’t realize I was about to finish until the last tall grass disappeared and I looked up and saw nothing left to cut.
I will be honest here. This was one of the most difficult grass cuts I have ever done. It was far more difficult than I believed due to the slope, uneven ground and hidden trip hazards…
As I climbed down hill towards the truck, carrying my big weedeater, I was jubilant and kept saying “Praise God! Victory is mine..I am done and the war is won!!”
I am very grateful to be finished, and every part of my body is tired and aching.
After I take pictures to show the faraway client my accomplishment, so that he will send us a hard-earned check…I will be rejoicing to see this lot disappearing in my rear view mirror as I drive away to go pickup Ani and head towards home.
Though I am not going to say never again, it would take a lot to get me to take on another big grass cut for anyone else. In the end, it was too hard, too hot, too risky and took up two whole days of my precious time…for just a few dollars.
But the flip side is—I was able to save Ani the stress and strain of three hours of driving each day so she could relax and feel taken care of.
Her radiant smile of appreciation is more than enough of a reward for me…and that is what gives me the greatest joy.
Photo Credit: Chinmayan “Completed Grass Cut on El Dorado Way”
Calligraphy by Chinmayan
Image Credit: Still Mountain Meditation Center
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