Gloria the Second - September 28, 2017

A couple of weeks ago, I ordered 10 pots of yellow chrysanthemums from the local FFA boys.  They should arrive some time this week.

I knew when I ordered them where I was going to plant them - five in each flower bed on the sides of the porch.  Those flower beds were a mess, full of iris and daylilies and monkey grass that are long over-due for dividing.  The plan was to dig all that stuff up, divide it all, and re-plant it where it made better sense, leaving room for the incoming mums. 

I had the day off yesterday, and it was warm and sunny.  By 9 a.m., I was outside, digging up the plants with a shovel.  When I finished digging everything up, I went down to the garden shed to get Gloria, the little red tiller, who needed a little work.  Her cord was hanging halfway out and wouldn't go back in.  I had ordered a new crank mechanism, and we'd have to put that on before I could till up the soil.  As my luck would have it, the part didn't fit.  Plan B was to start Gloria with a drill (she has a belly button that receives a chuck thing).

Plan B didn't work, either.  I drilled and drilled, but the thing wouldn't start.  The Husband said to check the oil.  I did.  It looked low.  Back to the garden shed for a quart of oil.  The Husband said the manual said to fill it up, so I did.  When I tried to crank it with the drill again, Gloria belched, and a stream of oil shot out of the air filter.  Simultaneously, The Husband and I said, "Oooo, that didn't sound good."

I went to the store and bought Gloria the Second.  While waiting for the cashier to ring up the sale, another cashier checked the records.  Gloria the First had a two-year warranty.  I had bought her in April 2015, so she was five months past her warranty.  My luck holds out again, eh?

I may re-name her, just so she won't quit as soon as her warranty expires.

Anyway, the beds are both re-planted and awaiting the arrival of the mums.