[Regorp]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

We had 3/4 acre of wooded land, so yeah I get the leaf issue. Hubby used a push-blower. I preferred an old fashioned rake. It was just so so so satisfying, and the only noise was the sound of crunching leaves. It was also incredibly rewarding to bring all those leaves into 6-foot piles at the curb. Then fall back into the piles and stare up at the blue sky through the canopy of crimson and mustard-yellow leaves waving down at me on the branches of the maple trees. It's what I miss most about my home in New England - the whole autumn experience.

I see you with tongue in cheek, no way I miss the piles of maple leaves every October in CT, not do I think you do too.

[DAVES]

Originally Posted by Pairadocs

This might get as many comments as gas vrs. electric golf carts....LOL ! Heard on radio newscast yesterday that the list of communities and entire states banning gas leaf/grass/debris blowers is growing rapidly. The stated reasons for banning gas is the decibel level, so some states and some communities are (for the time being) going to allow electric blowers. News also reported a growing number of states and individual communities have banned ALL blowers, stating that simply dissipating dirty, dust, and debris into the air serves no purpose, and the practice of one neighbor or one lawn service simply blowing the debris onto the property of another neighbor not only serves no purpose, but as been the foundation of many serious incidents. Reminds me of one morning I was standing on my driveway, holding my cup of coffee looking for the paper which should have been delivered by that time. The neighbor's lawn service was just finishing by using a gas blower to clear all the debris. The woman using it turned it directly to me as I stood on my drive, absolutely covered me in dirt and clippings and filling my coffee cup with dirt. I poured out my coffee and waited for her to finish. As she was loading the blower onto the trailer, I walked up to her and said very calmly: " I don't mean to be rude, but would you tell me why you would blow all of your trash onto me, and my drive and yard, instead of the people whose yard you are working in ? I said this in a very conversational, NOT confrontational, tone. She looked at me and YELLED: MY BOSS OWNS THIS COMPANY AND HE SAID WE CAN'T BLOW NUTTIN' ON OUR CUSTOMER'S PROPERTY BECAUSE THEY ARE PAYING US !". At that point I realized she, and possibly the other male, were mentally challenged, so I nodded very slightly and went in to get a clean cup of coffee. As an aside, these were the very same two individuals I had given fresh, cold, homemade lemonade to in large disposable cups just weeks ago because they looked so hot ! Just wondering, might be very pleasant if the villages did away with blowers all together like some of these places have ! ?

REALITY we demand perfect and perfect does not exist. We have chosen to live in the villages.
A senior community with homes one on top of the other. The plusses and the minuses are part of the same choice. Available services, clubs etc.

There are other choices. I have a friend, former business associate who bought 180 acres with his brother in the backwoods of North Carolina. Before buying in the Villages I read about an island for sale. Nice home, a small herd of wild horses. Could have bought it all for one million.
Could have set up my own kingdom. We bought in the villages and avoided a major revolt by the queen.

The blowers, there are many alternatives besides electric or the two cycle ones that are commonly used. A four cycle engine is more expensive, cleaner but heavier. Like a ca it requires oil changes. As there is no oil filter and it operates in a dusty environment oil needs to be changed about every 24 hours of run time. Still made but not common are gas powered vacuums where the debris collects in a bag. What to do with the stuff? They would pick up dog waste, lizards, weeds etc.

POINT there are many choices. The choice we have made. A perfect lawn, my lawn is greener than your lawn stuff. We are fighting NORMALCY.

[DAVES]

Originally Posted by ThirdOfFive

A law banning gas AND electric blowers?

Sounding brass and tinkling cymbals...

First, consider the origin of this "movement". Then consider the state (Florida) in which we live. My guess is that, in consideration of both, this idea has all the chance of becoming law as does a snowball surviving in hell.

Second, consider Villagers and the proclivity of geezers everywhere of making mountains out of molehills. I remember Mom telling me once that "you'd bitch if you were hung with a new rope". Hopefully I've become more of a live-and-let-live person. This just doesn't strike me as something worth being concerned about.

We over govern everything. People will always complain about something. Typical is they shouldn't but what I do is fine. "More of a live and let live person." Truth,HONESTY I've become less tolerant. OUTLAW PEOPLE might be a solution.

[collie1228]

At about 8:00AM this morning I was riding my bike past Dunkin Donuts in Spanish Springs (pedaling, I don't have a throttle), and there was a worker on the square running a very loud gas powered blower. At the time I thought how much that blower ruined the experience of the four old guys outside enjoying a cup of coffee. While I'm not sure about "banning", I do think they could do something about the noise.

[Glowing Horizon]

Originally Posted by Pairadocs

No complaints here, in fact, I was quite surprised to hear that some states have banned all blowers, both gas and electric. However, was perfectly calm but really not expecting a person less than 8 feet from me not to have the sense to NOT blow debris all over another human being ! ? But... didn't actually complain, just dumped my coffee, went in and washed off, and got a fresh cup ! I have a firm rule, don't argue with idiots...LOL !

Sorry for what happened to you. Grateful you didn’t suffer an allergic reaction from the mold, grass, dust etc! If you had stuff go into your eyes it could have been quite serious. You should make sure you move inside whenever you hear the blowers!

[Topspinmo]

Let’s see, I used gas push mower 2 riding mowers, zero turn mower, cyclone rake, gas weedwacker, gas tiller, gas chain saws, gas generator. All keep my hails 2 acres pristine. Electric anything never crossed my mind other than electric pole saw I used with generator. But I didn’t live in Cala the free state of Oklahoma

[kcrazorbackfan]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

I hate urbanites trying to dictate to folks living in rural areas how they should live their lives.

Or urbanites trying to dictate to other urbanites on how they should live their lives.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by collie1228

At about 8:00AM this morning I was riding my bike past Dunkin Donuts in Spanish Springs (pedaling, I don't have a throttle), and there was a worker on the square running a very loud gas powered blower. At the time I thought how much that blower ruined the experience of the four old guys outside enjoying a cup of coffee. While I'm not sure about "banning", I do think they could do something about the noise.

Probably brought back memories to the old guys….when they had to mow and use a blower. Not everything is bad..

[Aces4]

Originally Posted by Regorp

I see you with tongue in cheek, no way I miss the piles of maple leaves every October in CT, not do I think you do too.

I'd rather deal with maples leaves than palm fronds, fungus, mold, mole crickets, roaches, (oops.. palmetto bugs), palm rats, termites. Awww, you get the picture.

[Glowing Horizon]

Originally Posted by collie1228

At about 8:00AM this morning I was riding my bike past Dunkin Donuts in Spanish Springs (pedaling, I don't have a throttle), and there was a worker on the square running a very loud gas powered blower. At the time I thought how much that blower ruined the experience of the four old guys outside enjoying a cup of coffee. While I'm not sure about "banning", I do think they could do something about the noise.

There’s a huge difference between a homeowner who uses a low power, less loud blower (gas electric or battery) & a very high decibel & forceful gas commercial backpack blower! It seems that the commercial blowers are overused. Lawn care teams often have one guy who blows the entire time the team is onsite working—whether or not there’s any need to blow.It is extremely excessive & the blower units seem to be getting louder & louder. How can that noise be OSHA approved? They never use a rake nor any other less intrusive method either.

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Thanks! Yes, I'm a writer. A creative description writer in fact. I used to be the "head builder" of a text-based roleplaying game. You send your character "north" and it brings them to a "room" with a description. I wrote those descriptions.

Ah, the memories :-)

YOU ARE IN A LITTLE MAZE OF TWISTING PASSAGES, ALL DIFFERENT..

[Glowing Horizon]

Originally Posted by kcrazorbackfan

Or urbanites trying to dictate to other urbanites on how they should live their lives.

Seems like another example of the need to have individual local government controls rather than a bureaucratic one-size-fits-all , top-down rule or copycat laws which are not needed everywhere.

[gobuck827]

Originally Posted by Pairadocs

I have a firm rule, don't argue with idiots...LOL !

So the "mentally challenged" of the OP have morphed into Idiots?

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Regorp

I see you with tongue in cheek, no way I miss the piles of maple leaves every October in CT, not do I think you do too.

I absolutely miss them. Autumn was my favorite season and I am always sad this time of year in Florida because we don't have that kind of season change here. I also miss spring. When the same flowers are in bloom all year round, there's no happy surprise when you wake up and look out the window in the morning. It's just more of the same color pattern over and over again. I miss parts of summer, because they felt like "break-time from life" even when I was working full time. Other parts of summer were horrible because we didn't have central air conditioning, just a couple of noisy window units that meant we felt imprisoned in a dark dingy - but cool - place. Winter was okay except when the temps were extreme, or if there was more than a foot of snow on the ground. Less than that and it was no big deal. I used a shovel, hubby used the snow-blower.

I enjoyed the workout and I accepted it as a trade-off for the fact that the seasons changed and we could experience each one uniquely.

[HORNET]

Sounds like the green leadership need changed