Much Mulching

On Thursday evening the weather was unseasonably warm. I had an opportunity to spend my time after work on any of a group of fall chores. I chose to mow and pick up the fallen leaves with the bagger on my  mower.  I added some gas before mowing but not too much as I wanted to run the mower dry so I could put it away for the season. I got right to work.  All the basswood leaves were down but not all of the oaks and maples.  I filled up my compost bin but kept dumping leaves on top of the already full bin. I finished mowing the lawn parts of the yard so I took the bagger off to mulch the leaves on the paths through the woods.  I mowed through the paths mulching leaves so deep the yellow leaves were higher than the deck of the mower. Round and round the yard I went mulching away waiting to hear the sputtering of the mower that indicated I was running low on gas. I mulched down to the street.  I mulched along the boulevard.  I mulched the driveway. I still had plenty of gas.  I mulched over by the rain barrel and kept the mower running as I filled a bucket of water. I mulched with the bucket over to the chicken coop and watered the chickens.  I mulched back down the mailbox and got the mail. I mulched by the recycling bin as I read my mail and put most of it into the recycling bin.  I mulched through the woods again.  I sat in a lawn chair for a few minutes watching the clouds go by while the lawn mower mulched.  I mulched down the driveway again and again and again.  By now the cars passing had their head lights on. I wondered if this mower was ever going to run out of gas.  I regretted putting in so much gas in the first place.  I sat for a few minutes.  The clouds were turning pink and gray.  I mowed down to the mail box again and mowed over some of the dried out day lily leaves. I mowed back to the house.  Finally, at 7:15 p.m., after mowing for 2 hours, I gave up.  I turned the mower off with gas still in the tank. Darn efficient mowers they make these days!  It takes forever to run out of gas!