Beta Mum's Blog Beta Mum on 02 Aug 2007 10:28 am
Scythe Man
I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, and the one about looking for a needle in a haystack.
Well Mike has been hovering somewhere between the two this week.
He bought Ben a bow and arrow, and a target.
His first surprise was how powerful the bow was. We discovered this when Ben shot an exploratory arrow which went across the garden, over the roof of the house, over the road and into the garden of the poterie opposite.
We found it the next day when we visited the poterie, and luckily no-one had died in the meantime.
Secondly, he was reminded that when you’re shooting arrows at a target, many of them miss the target. They end up beyond the target, where there is a field with thigh-high grass.
When the arrow situation reached crisis-point – eight arrows lost in the long grass – Mike went out to a vide grenier and bought a 30 euro scythe to find a few 2 euro arrows.
Ever since his purchase he’s been in the field scything, especially when there’s something tricky to do – like cooking dinner for eight, getting over-tired children into bed or setting the table.
I think he’s missed his metier.
He describes himself as “un homme casse” on account of his aching back, throbbing shoulders and deadened arms.
But he’s happy as a guinea pig in hay, or even on Uncle Albert’s lap.
on 02 Aug 2007 at 7:00 pm 1.Alasdair said …
Nothing like a good excuse to get out of the less enjoyable jobs in life … “Mike went out to a vide grenier and bought a 30 euro scythe to find a few 2 euro arrows” - genius
on 02 Aug 2007 at 8:49 pm 2.Mutterings & Meanderings said …
Worse than hunting for tennis balls!
I always made my bow and arrows (I even had a penknife). How times have changed!
on 03 Aug 2007 at 1:20 pm 3.Mopsa said …
What is it about a scythe that makes a man look longingly, creates an itch in his palm and ultimately a gash in his leg?