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However, when raccoons and skunks arrived, I realized swift action was required. 80 I dug it all up and planted fresh seed. That should do it, I muttered to myself. But it didn’t. As fast as new sprouts appeared, they disappeared. So I planted again, and again and again. The same result. We’d gone from the best to the worst lawn on the block. I felt ashamed. But what to do? By co-incidence, a repre- sentative from a firm called Dan-Mar drove by. The faét hordes of grack- les were daily descending on the surface should have indi- cated something serious. But I did nothing, hoping the dilemma would some- how go away. Four summers ago, I observed a dead spot near our dfive I blamed it on salt run- ofiin the spring. A year later, the dead spot had widened. I care not if the house is a 20-mom mansion or a single-room cottage, the out- side matters most. And this is the cause of recent concerns. While our lot will never resemble a golf course or bowling green, I still contend a well-manicured lawn mir- rors the pride people have in their properties. Since then, with the help of son Barry, we’ve managed to keep it under control. Foot by foot, we tack- led the gmssy forest, finally reducing it to a respectable height. Out of necessity, our first major acquisition was a Tom mower, purchased at Hen- dricks’ Hardware for $90. The front yard was bet- ter, but not much. Bricks and stones, unearthed during the original excavation, still lit- tered the ground. But one thing aggravated us. The lawn. Grass in the rear yard was so high we couldn’t venture beyond the back steps without holding hands. It's been 48 years and 10 months since we moved into our humble abode. Back then, as newlyweds, we were proud of our place. A $12,500 pricetagand aZOâ€"year, $7,000 mortgage seemed right for a greenhom journalist earning $60 a week Strange, isn’t it, how one pretends those little bare spots, so visible in the fall, will somehow repair them- selves during six months of hibernation? Iwish. Unfortunately, in this regard, nothing changes. The imperfections are just as noticeable in April as in November. t happens every spring. As snow levels diminish, the ground, that once was a lawn, re-appears in all its ugliness. t S,Cfl, The driver stopped. took Hired hands take on our white grubs Iim Thomas is a Stoufi‘ilille resident who has written for area newspapers for more than 50 years. I could ask for noth- ing more except assistance fmm neighbours when time comes to cut the grass. So I agreed â€" not on his terms but on mine; one application of fertilizer in April; another in October and grub control, if needed, in June. If results fall short of expectations, the firm's agreed to return and repeat the treatment. Still, I put him off, hoping other companies would pro- vide comparison pricing. But none did. Without being pushy, he described allthe benefits the firm had to offer. The pro- gram sounded impressive. Unlike previous seasons, when lawn-care companies were constantly plaguing us with calls or filling our postal box with brochures, we heard nothing. A representative phoned not once, but three times. The Dan-Mar firm is no more, at least not in the grass-growing trade. Since I prefer keeping business local, I didn’t know where to turn. - I was pleased. And so was my wife, Jean, truly thankful someone had taken charge who knew what he was doing. Unfortunately, this spring, I found myself back to square one. Further, without charge, they seeded all bare spots created through winterâ€"kill. In two summers, our lawn went from a veritable desert to a lush fairway. Fertilizer applications were provided spring, sum- mer and fall. In addition, they not only eradicated the grubs but also the weeds. To say Dan-Mar did a creditable job would be an understatement. Excellent would better describes their I signed on line. White grubs, he said, they were really bad that year. He oflered assistance, at the same time suggesting the menace would undoubtedly retum the next year but with lesser effect. a look and recognized the problem. Roaming Around No one except the Weed- with Iim Thomas dotted Wv:willsoonlaejn.;‘;l mamuuagu bemakin some week‘Wcfil adlthac arm offi'ozcnorgamc' - umbegnnin' next theft-mam:qu , v , hombmymdcddimmwenbedomgfioz wofingbtmhwmm'flbcmaking ...... CHICKEN Imus OOIDON-BLBU, us' our air-chilled chmkcn,’ so they'll be on ' -â€"andtoscrvewithit wc' havcaBuma Ricel’ihf-andournow fimousBrocoolideauliflowetSaladâ€"all dues: priced at for this Thursday, opp Friday and Sum-day. OUR Diana“: ready, folks! 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