From Lynn’s Comments: Once again, this really happened. Having a comic strip to fill every week made some calamities a GOOD thing! Real life gave me a constant source of maddening incidents that I could turn into funny.
Probably a piece of a mountain that no longer exist from Northern Canada. Scraped and carried down during the last Ice-Age. Then left behind as the Ice-Age glaciers retreated.
Shovel enough to get a good bit of the boulder exposed. Hammer drill holes as deep as possible in it. Fill holes with water. Wait for freezing temperatures and Mother Nature will crumble the boulder for you. With granite or other hard rock, you may need to hammer an iron, lead or steel plug in the holes.
Try living on a Sandstone Bluff, nothing but rock, except for the sediment coming down the hill, so where I have grass the dirt is only about 1 to 3 inches. Mowing for me is precision mowing, and yes, I go thru a lot of blades. I buy them three pairs in an order.
Back about 30 years ago my next door neighbor(we lived in Northern Michigan) decided to cut down a wild cherry tree that was right on our property line down. This being the second time he decided the best way would be to cut out the roots. Some 18 hours later-all day Sat and into Sunday afternoon-the hole was about 4 feet deep and 12 feet wide with several roots, some up to 6 inches thick were fully exposed. I loaned him my chain saw and after sharpening it a couple of times he was finally able to cut through the main root, the rest took him until after dark to cut. Since I worked midnights I spent a few hours on Monday shoveling the dirt back into the hole and planting a large Lilac bush. There was another, much larger cherry tree-about 25 feet tall-growing in his back yard that he had also planned to cut down. After discovering just how large the root system was he decided to just leave it be.
rocks are pretty mobile. I live in the mountains. I’ll mow across a little rocky flat area one year and the next I have to mow around it. They rise up a little at a time.
My fix at my previous house involved a sledge hammer to take a few inches off the tops of rocks too large to roll with a come a long. Smaller ones got added to the nearest stone wall/pile.
I have a friend who grew up in the Netherlands. He claim s that there were never any rocks in his yard. His wife would declare with sadness that her childhood summers were spent picking rocks from the family garden.
It’s a shame that John didn’t read Bozo a couple of days ago (https://www.gocomics.com/bozo/2023/06/23?ct=v&cti=2598252). He might have gotten a different perspective on this situation.
I live in a rock-free area of Louisiana. I have a gumball tree, whose lawnmower-killing roots slowly rise out of the ground like a super-slow-motion Kraken. I added dirt until the problem vanished.
Templo S.U.D. over 1 year ago
I wonder if the previous owners of the Pattersons’ house also had that bothersome rock when it came to mowing the lawn.
Enter.Name.Here over 1 year ago
That’s a bit bigger than a rock. “The next time you find a boulder…..”
AllishaDawn over 1 year ago
I can’t help but wonder how close they are to Oak Island.
Baslim the Beggar Premium Member over 1 year ago
Rocks migrate to the surface all by themselves. Especially in country that was once glaciated. like Ontario where the Pattersons live.
amethyst52 Premium Member over 1 year ago
People pay really good money to have rocks like that placed in their landscaping. They should have made use of it.
snsurone76 over 1 year ago
John is actually mowing his own lawn instead of making Michael or Elizabeth do it??
Will wonders never cease??
red_tape over 1 year ago
they could plant a shrub, or maybe build an altar & worship the Mother of All Rocks
Justanolddude Premium Member over 1 year ago
It’s a wise farmer that learns to plow around the rock.
Gizmo Cat over 1 year ago
From Lynn’s Comments: Once again, this really happened. Having a comic strip to fill every week made some calamities a GOOD thing! Real life gave me a constant source of maddening incidents that I could turn into funny.
littlejohn Premium Member over 1 year ago
Probably a piece of a mountain that no longer exist from Northern Canada. Scraped and carried down during the last Ice-Age. Then left behind as the Ice-Age glaciers retreated.
arolarson Premium Member over 1 year ago
May one suggest you just rip of all that turf grass and plant a native plant meadow instead?
More Coffee Please! Premium Member over 1 year ago
Raise the blade…
goboboyd over 1 year ago
xeriscaping?
Watchdog over 1 year ago
Pennsylvania?
David in Webb Premium Member over 1 year ago
I’ve dug up so many rocks I have a terraced hillside. For the ones needing a backhoe I just use a sledge hammer and break off the top.
Outnumbered over 1 year ago
He should be grateful he is not in the Ozarks.
vaughnrl2003 Premium Member over 1 year ago
What a great idea, about a day late.
John Wiley Premium Member over 1 year ago
Shovel enough to get a good bit of the boulder exposed. Hammer drill holes as deep as possible in it. Fill holes with water. Wait for freezing temperatures and Mother Nature will crumble the boulder for you. With granite or other hard rock, you may need to hammer an iron, lead or steel plug in the holes.
Forest Dweller 54 over 1 year ago
Try living on a Sandstone Bluff, nothing but rock, except for the sediment coming down the hill, so where I have grass the dirt is only about 1 to 3 inches. Mowing for me is precision mowing, and yes, I go thru a lot of blades. I buy them three pairs in an order.
Old recluse over 1 year ago
Our neighbor never raked the small rocks out of his yard like we did. Every time his mower hit a rock he would shout: Hot dam! Ke-rist!
The Great_Black President over 1 year ago
John had to work hard remove that boulder. That is his penance for having impure thoughts about Rhetta.
ladykat over 1 year ago
Elly made a valid suggestion, John. The shrub would have been cheaper.
ajr58(1) over 1 year ago
That is why there are so many stone walls in Ireland. You have to do something with all of those, as you plant your fields.
alibey over 1 year ago
Some C4 would clear that up
Moonkey Premium Member over 1 year ago
He got rid of that rock. It would be interesting to know what he did with the next one.
ChazNCenTex over 1 year ago
“In Sod we trust”. A down-to-earth sentiment.
timbob2313 Premium Member over 1 year ago
Back about 30 years ago my next door neighbor(we lived in Northern Michigan) decided to cut down a wild cherry tree that was right on our property line down. This being the second time he decided the best way would be to cut out the roots. Some 18 hours later-all day Sat and into Sunday afternoon-the hole was about 4 feet deep and 12 feet wide with several roots, some up to 6 inches thick were fully exposed. I loaned him my chain saw and after sharpening it a couple of times he was finally able to cut through the main root, the rest took him until after dark to cut. Since I worked midnights I spent a few hours on Monday shoveling the dirt back into the hole and planting a large Lilac bush. There was another, much larger cherry tree-about 25 feet tall-growing in his back yard that he had also planned to cut down. After discovering just how large the root system was he decided to just leave it be.
mindjob over 1 year ago
It could have been a fossil, we’ll never know
cheryl_mjones.333777 over 1 year ago
rocks are pretty mobile. I live in the mountains. I’ll mow across a little rocky flat area one year and the next I have to mow around it. They rise up a little at a time.
Enoi over 1 year ago
Glacial erratic. ☺
g04922 over 1 year ago
It’s called “Project Creep” in the construction business. This one was huge. LOL…
roly over 1 year ago
My fix at my previous house involved a sledge hammer to take a few inches off the tops of rocks too large to roll with a come a long. Smaller ones got added to the nearest stone wall/pile.
tammyspeakslife Premium Member over 1 year ago
I have a friend who grew up in the Netherlands. He claim s that there were never any rocks in his yard. His wife would declare with sadness that her childhood summers were spent picking rocks from the family garden.
The Pro from Dover over 1 year ago
All others buy grass
JanLC over 1 year ago
Sorry Elly. A shrub requires root room. With the size of that boulder underground, a shrub wouldn’t take root unless it was about 4 feet away.
CoreyTaylor1 over 1 year ago
Hey Cru-Elly, next time the lawn needs mowing, may I suggest YOU do it!?
donut reply over 1 year ago
I friend loved to tell the story of a relative finding a large boulder when digging a basement. They dug below the rock and sunk it deeper.
EXCALABUR over 1 year ago
Ok, this is really stupid.
Angry Indeed Premium Member over 1 year ago
I love the license on the flat bed!
paullp Premium Member over 1 year ago
It’s a shame that John didn’t read Bozo a couple of days ago (https://www.gocomics.com/bozo/2023/06/23?ct=v&cti=2598252). He might have gotten a different perspective on this situation.
Barnabus Blackoak over 1 year ago
why didn’t he hit it every other time he mowed ?
The Gun Doctor over 1 year ago
I live in a rock-free area of Louisiana. I have a gumball tree, whose lawnmower-killing roots slowly rise out of the ground like a super-slow-motion Kraken. I added dirt until the problem vanished.
asrialfeeple over 1 year ago
You will fetch her … a shrubbery.
jbruins84341 over 1 year ago
Makes me wonder if John ever mowed the lawn before.