To: Gauguin who wrote (51009 ) 5/23/2000 5:04:00 PM From: Crocodile Read Replies (3) | Respond to
Y'know... I mentioned that I had another story for Fire Week Report...
Actually, I think I could post at least 2 or 3 more, but I'd better stick to just one more... lest I be thought of as a Fire Enthusiast... right??
This story happened a couple of years ago. It involves that riding lawnmower... Do you remember that machine? The one that Mr. Croc bought at a friend's "Moving Away Auction"... at the same time as he got the wood cookstove with the back rotted away off it... and the wrecky old gas barbecue that came complete with a big bee's nest.... and the rattan peacock chairs... one of which flew out of the truck and got all busted up on the highway...
Yeah, of course you remember this lawnmower...
Well, a couple of years ago, Mr. Croc is out cutting the grass... tearing around the lawn on this rickety old lawnmower... I painted it John Deere green and industrial yellow... so it didn't look too bad... better than the spray-bombed heat-proof automotive aluminum colour that it used to be.
Anyhow, on this particular day, I was using the computer... actually using some kind of Instant Message thing to "talk" to a friend in Europe.
So, I'm typing away... minding my own business... ignoring the roar of the engine on the little lawnmower as it passes by the back deck just beside me...
When all at once, Mr. Croc appears at the patio door... Looking... well... kind of... I dunno... maybe "panicky"...
I look up and say, "What's wrong??"
He starts yelling.. "The lawnmower is on fire!! It's burning!!"
Oh, OK... and this is the logical thing to do when a lawnmower is on fire... Run to the house and screech at me, eh?
So, calmly, I type out on the Instant Messenger...
MR. CROC TELLS ME THAT THE LAWNMOWER IS ON FIRE..... HAVE TO GO.... BYE.
And then I jump up and grab the fire extinguisher from next to the door and run outside...
Mr. Croc, sort of like a human Lassie Dog, is standing at the bottom of the deck... shrieking and pointing at the burning lawnmower... which as fate would have it... is blazing away about 10 feet from my pick-up truck...
Not wasting too much time... I think I yelled a few things that it wouldn't be too polite to type here... verbatim...
Then I tossed the fire extinguisher to Mr. Croc and told him to spray the burning lawnmower while I pushed it from behind to get it the hell away from my pickup truck....
Jeez... did that little lawnmower ever make a BIG fire... Bad enough that the engine went on fire, but then the front tires started to burn as well... Lemme tell you... It was NOT a pretty sight....
But, eventually, between shots from the fire extinguisher, and a steady spray from the garden hose, we managed to get things under control....
And I returned to the house to see...
WHAT???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????!!!!!!!!!! on the Instant Messenger box on my monitor screen...
BTW, we still have the infamous riding lawnmower... Required a new gas line and a couple of new front tires, but it still does the job...
(-:
