Ryan Greenberg

Just a month ago, I very nearly destroyed my back when I cut the grass with a pair of hedge shears. (If you missed that one, I recommend that you watch the video to catch up.) You can imagine my discontent when the grass (nothing more than an elaborate system of weeds, really) continued to grow. Now it is every bit as tall as it was when I cut it. Shoot.

Yesterday I had what I modestly call my best idea in the last couple of months. Naturally, I acted on it. Early this morning, just as I was about to leave for work, I heard our neighbor Señora Flor calling at the front gate. Right on time. I opened the gate for her, and she lead her horse, Sendero, into our yard. “What time do you want to pick him up?” I asked her. She thought that 6:00pm would be a good time. We agreed. She left. Sendero ate.

My housemate Maureen asked me how much the horse rental would cost. Nothing! Though I didn’t always know this, horses are eating machines. They eat all the time. In fact, Señora Flor was grateful that we offered our grass for her horse. Feeling quite satisfied with myself, I laughed out loud as I watched Sendero go to work on our yard. I may not understand much about Chile, but I have arranged for a horse to come mow my lawn, and that’s not something just anyone can say.