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\ PAGE 3 - PLAINDEALER - FRIDAY, MAY 25, 1984 i- Dick Peterson Lawn of weeds becomes homeowner's battleground I did something out-of-nature the other day; I planted grass. It was expensive, it was time consuming, the results are guaranteed to be disappointing, and it will continue to be time consuming as long as I am a master mower. I had a lot of time to think about the folly of planting that large patch of grass, a combination of Kentucky btaegrass, ryegrass, creeping red fescue (whose variety is unknown, I am told), a certain amount of inert matter and a very small percentage of weeds. One brand came from Idaho, the state, and the other from Downers Grove, the suburb. That wasn't exaggeration to say the grass seed contained a very small percentage of weed seed. Both bags contained weed seed. No kidding. You and I know how one dandelion one year can fill a lawn with thousands the next If there ever were a conflict of interest, there's one in my grass bags. And no law protects us from that. I have no idea what inert matter is. I'm guessing rocks grow from it, or maybe rocks are in it. Maybe they put a couple rods of nuclear waste in each bag. That would be a discrete disposal method. And as long as it makes the grass grow green, lawn lovers won't give a hoot. I am certain the king of grass, the Kentucky bluegrass, the ryegrass and the creeping red fescue of unknown variety - probably another weed-will never germinate. The very small percentage of weed seed and inert matter, along with the healthy number of vigorous weeds already present and thriving in the patch of proposed lawn, will take over. I have no confidence in the grass seed, even though I water it faithfully, if futilely, and pray for sunny, warm weather. Wet hope isn't going to give me a lawn-of-the- mouth turf. I have accepted the ultimate disappointment I thought long and hard about my assured disap­ pointment. The proposed area of lawn is about 11 paces by 15 paces, or 33 feet by 45 feet for those of you who do not understand the earthy parlance of grass planters. The area is about half of the garden we had last year, which produced as much weed as produce. Being that the area was not in grass, it had to be prepared for planting, which means rototilling. The rototiller pulled me around for six hours. It wanted to slice or hook when I wanted to go straight. It wanted to sputter and stall when I wanted it to dig in deep. It just turned the weeds over when I wanted them killed in no uncertain terms. When I started, I never thought I'd get done. When r got done, I knew I didn't do it well enough. All the while, I thought about all the work I was doing to improve con­ ditions for weeds already present and the very small per­ centage I was about to plant. Then I had to rake the tilled peafe and valleys-furrows they call them--then I had to rake it again in an attempt to make it level. The patch now matches the rest of the small depressions and hills that are scattered about our yard, which is a scale model of Nebraska. In addition to thinking about the disappointment and fruitless work, I thought about the expense of planting a bunch of paces-worth of grass seed. We got die rototiller free. Of course, after we had the new engine installed, we were in for $153.69. The four gallons of gas consumed in rototilling cost about $5, plus about $3 more in going back and forth to the gas station. The five bags of grass-weed mixture cost another $14.1 would have paid someone else $5 for the work, which is another $40. That's $215.69 so far for a patch of grass 11 paces by 15. That $215.69 will get me more than grass, of course. I'll have to mow it. I'm guessing it will take an additional 15 minutes to mow that patch. I probably mow the lawn 20 times a year, which equals five hours a year. Over the 29 years remaining on our mortgage, that equals about 145 hours of additional mowing, or 3% workweeks with no time for lunch. Adjusting conservatively for inflation, that's probably another $2,000. The perspective is dizzying. Did I make a bum investment, or what? I thought about that, too, and I know the answer. The grass is always greener in someone else's back yard. El JCSu ORIENTAL: 6R0CERIES*ARTS*GIFTS Education is fitting gift for new graduate A fitting gift for any new graduate is the gift of self- enrichment, available in the form of a gift certificate from McHenry County College. To be used in payment of tuition and fee charges, gift certificates may be purchased from MCC for any amount and are redeemable when needed on credit and non-credit classes, seminars and workshops offered by the college. They are redeemable on tuition and fees only. Textbooks and supplies are not covered. In addition to graduation, an MCC gift certificate makes an ideal gift for a birthday, Father's Day, an anniversary, or in remembrance of any special day. To buy them for the special people on your gift list, stop by the MCC Business Office Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or 5:30 to 8:30 p.m; Fridays, gift certificates are available between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., except the month of July, when the college is closed on Fridays. Charity program started for poor gas customers CHINA LIGHT ORIENTAL STORE 1256 N. GREEN, McHENRY (FORMERLY BEN FRANKLIN) GRAND OPENING 10% OFF AU STORE ITEMS UNTIL MAY 31.1984 •GIFTS FOR ALL OCCASIONS •FRESH CHINESE VEGETABLES... TOFU, PEA PODS, BOK CHOY, ETC. AFTER YOU SHOP AT THE NIW J5TORE, FAY A VISIT TO OUR REDECORATED A REMODELED REST AURANT NEXT DOOR I Lt.-Colonel John R. Cheyne, metropolitan divisional com­ mander of The Salvation Army urges Northern Illinois Gas Company customers and residents to support the utility's SHARING program as the company launches a renewed fund-raising effort. SHARING is a charitable program which uses donations from NI-Gas customers, em­ ployees ~ and NICOR shareholders to help needy customers pay outstanding gas bill balances. Applications and grants were recently suspended when demand for assistance exceeded contributions. SHARING grant recipients are NI-Gas customers whose household incomes are at or below 150 percent of the federally-established poverty level, do not qualify for other energy assistance programs, have an outstanding gas bill balance and are facing financial stress or emergency. Grants of up to $200 may be obtained once per year and are credited directly to the gas bill account. NI-Gas is matching all donations, up to a maximum $1 million, and every dollar received is distributed through grants. Since the program's inception in early 1983, SHARING has awarded almost 5,000 grants totaling more than $880,000. "We have seen a significant increase in the number of ap­ plicants. In fact, of the total amount granted, more than half has been distributed in the first four months of 1984 alone." stomers may donate by checking a box on their monthly bills and adding exactly one dollar to the payment. A lump sum contribution may be mailed to SHARING, P.O. Box 111, Bell wood, IL. 60104. All donations are tax deductible. SPECIAL STUDENT SUMMER MEMBERSHIP 3 MONTHS for $60 00 344-2202 o McHenry Nautilus viy* LIC A i TVI A- rrrwi c*ri im \ \ V 804 MILL ST. • MeHENRY Behind Taylor Mad* Golf Company WONDER LAKE McHENRY MEMORIAL WEEKEND SPECIAL 3 DAYS ONLY-MAY 26, 27, A GROWING TO SERVE YOU...2 LOCATIONS McHENRY 2102 W. Rt. 120 344-5506 Daily 11 am-11 pm WONDER LAKE on Hancock Dr. m am 728-1536 Daily 11 am-1 Opm sg-ssv O HUM*1"16 OK V 5S00--CI 20*3 DC \ 50 • : r: V