by David Fawcett
It’s official.
After battling thick grass, stifling temperatures and fickle equipment for the last seven years, the All Saints’ landscape crew, officially known as the Lawn and Order Special Mowing Unit, is retiring.
The decision to retire came sooner than we anticipated, but it became clear it was time to turn this responsibility over to paid professionals who have the manpower to meet the need.
Maintaining a 28-acre property once a week for six months is not a two or even three-man job if you have any chance of staying ahead of the weeds and grass.
As a member of the team, I’ll admit that a part of me is relieved by the news. You don’t realize how big All Saints’ property really is until you’ve mowed every patch or trimmed every sidewalk edge
And let’s be honest: The idea of pushing a lawn mower across a steep embankment at 8 a.m. in knee-high grass with the July temperatures already soaring near 90 degrees doesn’t exactly fire you up with excitement.
It was like a mini-boot camp. If you survived those hot, sticky mornings at the dam in the middle of summer you earned a spot on the team—and the T-shirt!
But for all the sweat and strained muscles, the other part of me is sad this team is retiring. I enjoyed this group. It was more than just coming to complete a task. It was a fellowship opportunity filled with laughs and diehard appreciation for overcoming together the sometimes daunting task that pitted man vs. machine and man vs nature. Man always won in the end, leaving me with a sense of accomplishment.
Plus, it was educational. I learned how to drive the zero-turn riding mower without hurting myself or anyone or anything around me. I also learned you don’t feed the string through the end of a trimmer by banging the trimmer’s head on the ground. That breaks the head. Ask me how I know.
Although at age 59 I was the second youngest member of the group, you wouldn’t know it by the way everyone worked. This team didn’t mess around. From maintaining the property to fixing equipment to organizing the shed, they knew exactly what to do and how to do it.
And there was a lot to do, from mowing to edging to trimming to branch cutting. The tasks seemed endless at times.
But led by our fearless leader, Walt DeHoust who kept us organized and was entrenched with us, the grounds never looked better.
Since 2019, the following people have helped over the years to keep the All Saints’ property looking beautiful: Owen Cheney, Jim Exnicios, Bruce DeSoto, Draper Bowne, Larry Moyer, Walt DeHoust, Romero Pachecano, Simon Cronje, and most recently Dawn Olson. Also, it’s important to mention our unofficial supervisor Ellie who kept everyone in line (unless distracted by a stick that required chewing.)
A huge thank you to each of you for your time, sacrifice and commitment over the years. You blessed this church and this property with your tireless work ethic and selfless devotion.
