A number of years ago, I worked with a man who bought 5 acres in the country and moved his trailer and family onto it. Since the 5 acres was farm land, he plowed it and planted 5 acres of grass.

The trailer sat up on a hill so, the first winter was a challenge. One evening, after getting stuck in the driveway, he discovered that there was a big rock in his gravel driveway. Angry, he grabbed the rock and threw it onto the lawn. Problem solved.

He boasted about this great mail order place he found in Chicago. And, if you knew the man, every thing that he did was a stroke of pure genius, at least in his eyes.

This company in Chicago sold everything mail order. So, in the spring, he ordered an aluminum lawn shed. The lawn shed arrived and he assembled it. Life was good

Next, he discovered that the mail order company sold riding lawn mowers. The price was right so he bought one. A few weeks later, it was assemble and he began mowing his grass.

Mowing his grass was just fine until he hit something. It was the rock from the driveway. It damaged the mower. He threw the rock back into the driveway. Parts were ordered and the mower was moved into the shed.

The first snows were about to fly and the thoughts of blowing snow were heavy on his mind, so he bought a new snow blower from this mail order company. It was a two stage self propelled deluxe and would certainly handle his 200 foot driveway.

When the first big snow of the season arrived, he fired up that blower and headed for the driveway.

The snowblower performed flawlessly until it hit that rock. That rock killed the snowblower just like it killed the lawn mower last summer. He now had two dead unites; the snow blower and the lawn mower. He put the snow blower into the shed along with the lawn mower. Both were now waiting for parts.

Then he got the next heavy snow. Not only did he have to call for someone to plow his driveway, but the roof on the shed collapsed, dumping snow on the mower and the blower. Oh well. He ordered new parts for the shed.

But, more to the point, in the course of plowing, the snow plow truck threw the rock back on to the lawn. Life was good!

Come spring, he received the parts for his mower and fixed it. And guess what?

Some things never change.