Monday, July 06, 2009

No Mow?


The Modern Gal and I have recently moved into the 4th and Gill neighborhood. It's a sweet little area, and the people nearby are really nice and friendly.

Along with a big old musty house to clean and take care of, I, for the first time in my life, live in a place where I'm partially responsible for maintaining the yard. MG doesn't seem worried about this, but just the thought of lugging out the mower each week makes me tired. I have a slight aversion to household tasks that require continuous attention (and do not live, breathe, and look like a cat.)

But, on the 5th, I mustered up the motivation to go out and mow the lawn when a friend of mine told me I could not mow on a Sunday. This seemed hard to believe, but when I perked up my ears, I didn't hear the faintest sound of nearby neighbors doing yard work.

Considering my conservative upbringing, I kind of like the idea of reserving one day of peace and quiet for you and your neighbors, but I'm skeptical of this unwritten rule. Or is it written?

Would any of you homeowners care to fill me in on the big, wide world of yard maintenance?

30 comments:

Robert said...

weird! I've never heard of that in my life ... granted I've lived in apartments for the past 9 years, so ...

Pianoman said...

That's new to me. We are in the Bible belt, but I've never heard that one.

max said...

considering i'm the only native wigshopper, i can absolutely verify that you violated the "no mowing on sunday" rule. in fact, you don't do much of anything that involves loud noises on a sunday. no working on your muffler, no hammering on anvils, etc.

growing up in east tennessee we always got our yard work done on saturday. sunday is a day of rest whether you are a Christian or not. (myself being the former).

though they wouldn't admit to it, neighbors don't like it when you do yard work on sundays. they want to watch the final round of wimbledon or the masters or that "movies for guys who like movies" marathon on TBS or wherever.

your friend was right.

max said...

i must note that gardening is OK. as long as you aren't roto-tilling or using a gas powered auger.

flower beds are acceptable as well.

Anonymous said...

That is really weird! I have never heard anything like that. If you work full time plus some I would think sundays are fair game?this is em by the way. Commenting via phone

carman said...

I'm also a native (relatively) Wigshopian, and I have just plain never heard of any injunction against mowing on Sunday. There may be an injunction against mowing the day after a holiday that involves sitting outside and drinking all day. Maybe that's why no one was working on their yard n the 5th?

The Modern Gal said...

You mowed??? You are awesome!!! (Please tell me y'all screwed the wheels all the way in first)

I'm sure if anything this is one of those unwritten "rules" or perhaps there was something like it once written into the archaic blue laws. But no one's going to bust you or I for it. I'm sure our neighbors will just be glad we mowed and probably won't care that we've done it on Sunday, as long as we're not doing it at midnight.

Anonymous said...

Unless it is codified policy, tell them to cram it with walnuts.

-Charles

B said...

Um...actually, I didn't mow the yard. Once I had an excuse not to, I continued watching the Office. We need to take care of that :)

Discordia said...

I've always known it was an unspoken creed throughout the bible belt, but never gave much mind to it.

Besides, if it truly bothered someone, I would simply point out the sabbath is on saturday and blow their minds.

The Pol said...

I'm just gonna leave this one alone.

Anonymous said...

I have lived in 4th & Gill for the past 8 years and have loved (almost) every second of it! I mow whenever I find the time - whether that be a Tuesday afternoon or (gasp!) a Sunday morning. I think you'll find that 4th & Gill, much like Old North and Downtown is a little less "bible-belty" than the rest of Knoxville. It's not that many people aren't religious - they're just less in-your-face about it. We're just happy to have great neighbors like you that are willing to put in the work an old house often requires! Welcome to the neighborhood!

regi said...

my wife and i have lived in 4th and gill a year now and not only have i mowed my lawn on a Sunday afternoon or evening, so have my friendly neighbors.

i agree with Discordia, tell them you're a seventh day adventist.

welcome to the neighborhood!

Anonymous said...

Last time I checked, 4th and Gill was still located in America...so mow whenever ya want. If you get any static, just tell the neighbors that you're a wiccan - that should keep them from bothering you.

Lord Von Lord said...

Voodoo. Works everytime. They'll beg for you to mow on Sunday after you bury livestock in your yard a couple of times.

B said...

you people are cracking me up.

Anonymous said...

Mowing on Sunday is verboten in the more conservative parts of the South. Sunday is for church. And it's not unwritten or unspoken, because a neighbor greeted my mother when we moved to East Tennesseee, "Welcome to the neighborhood! Now, right off the bat, I have to tell you that if you try to mow your yard on Sunday, Mrs. E will come out here and glare at you until you stop.

Mama never tested that theory. Mrs. E was scary.

I live nowhere near 4th and Gill, but in my little town, no one mows on Sunday. Honestly, I don't know why y'all are so surprised. It's just polite. Some people like to reserve Sunday for solemn religious contemplation and such. Or for recovering from hangovers. Whatever excuse you need to set aside one day of the week not to have to do yard work, I say, that's a good enough reason

Wax S. said...

You guys need to install a moss lawn. No mowing required. Even on Sunday.

max said...

moss would be so soft.

instead of mowing on sunday, you should host an ice cream social or cookout. (hint hint)

The Modern Gal said...

Y'all are cracking me up as well. Unfortunately, with the kind of work schedules B and I operate on, we're gonna have to mow when we can do it, be it Sunday or otherwise. The neighbors should be thankful that I will resist the urge to mow at midnight :)

And Max, I'll be happy to cookout or buy ice cream for whomever wants to help us unpack. (hint hint)

Unknown said...

Yep, no Sunday mowing in the Bible belt. That's when these folks go to restaurants after services so that other people have to work for them.

Discordia said...

And then instead of tipping they like to leave little cards telling you that instead of a tip, they're giving you a little card telling you that jesus loves you and that matters more than being able to pay your rent on time. And it's always the old people who do it.



And that boys and girls, is where the term "hypochristians" came from...

Anonymous said...

My middle finger wouldn't give a crap about Mrs E's glare.

Anonymous said...

i think its just the right thing to do. leave sunday to relaxing without power tools. there is enough noise as it is in the world.

benjamin said...

And on the eighth day, God made B.

I dunno... I'll mow your lawn for $100.

Eli said...

Huh. Never heard of this rule. And Sunday is normally my mowing day.

::shrug:: If someone doesn't want me mowing on Sunday they can come mow my yard for me some other day.

Eli said...

and Discordia - I hear you. I used to wait tables in Gatlinburg, and I would get that any day that there was a religious men's/women's/kid's conference

Taylor D said...

I don't know. I always mow whenever I feel like it, which is rare. I guess I just never paid attention to what day it is! I live in Old North and I don't believe we have any stipulations against mowing on Sundays. Sundays in my neighborhood tend to be reserved for ice cream truck songs that sound a little off-key, porch building, polka music blaring from my neighbor's Thunderbird, and most of my neighbors passing out drunk in their yards.

Kat said...

I grew up in Knoxville, in the fourth and gill area for that matter, and I've never heard of no mowing on Sunday. Sounds a little nutty to me. And as busy as I am, if I had a yard I would darn mow it when I could Sunday or not. Luckily I am currently an apartment dweller.

Micheleagogo said...

Where you and the Modern Girl trying to paint chip my house on Gratz earlier this week? As for maintaining in the 'hood- we borrow and loan a lot of tools to make it all happen. Hit us up anytime.