Letter: Thinking of days before gas powered mowers

Well, it is mowing time again and one can hear a multitude of noisy gas powered mowers. Following is a remembrance of quieter times on mowing days. People powered 'push” mowers were quiet, emitted only a pleasant 'clippety-clip” sound.

Heard an older lady, many years ago, note that sound was one of her favorites.

Fast forward to nowadays. We had an old push mower, rusty and in need of sharpening. It stood by our shed as an ornament. It so happened that, about three years ago, that the Amish roofers were doing our house. One of the workers spied our mower and asked it we would sell it to him (the Amish don't use powered equipment). My wife said it was not for sale, but that he could just take it, which he finally did.

A couple of years later, we were in the Amish area in northeast Iowa, prowling city garage sales, and saw two of that kind of mower, one priced at about $80, another at $60 or so. Go figure!

Don Hansen

Waterloo