pet connection

Interesting study on the potential link between lawn chemicals and cancer in dogs.

I’m not addicted to the idea of a perfect lawn, and I never have been. For me, mowed green weeds are sufficient. I don’t use chemicals — what grows, grows. In the middle of my back-yard lawn is a stand of violets — violets! Would be pretty if they ever got a chance to bloom, but I’m afraid they get sheared off weekly along with the grass.

My father told me a story about one of his neighbors, a man who was born elsewhere — China, I think my dad says — and speaks with an accent still. The neighbor loves to walk, and always shares a few friendly words with the people he meets along the way. The other day, my father was mowing the lawn when the neighbor walked by, paused, and waited for my dad to turn off the mower.

“America is a funny place,” said the neighbor. “All the time and money that goes into lawns — planting for them, fertilizing them, mowing them — just to ‘harvest’ something you can’t eat. Crazy thing.”

And then he smiled and continued his walk.

Maybe I should think about putting in xeriscape instead, at least in the front.