They say it stays within an area defined by a wire buried by John Deere specialists. If that same wire could double as an "invisible fence" for a dog they may have something there.

By the way, I took the blade off of my lawnmower to get it sharpened. It was cutting just fine, but was very, very dull. I tend to whack things with it, branches that have fallen, large roots which have surfaced, etc.

As I walked out to the car I noticed my neighbor with one of those weedwhackers, a string trimmer, whaling away at a tall grass patch in a corner of her yard. I watched her for a second and it dawned upon me.

The string in that trimmer is NOT sharp. It's just moving like hell and manages to at least chew through the grass stems. Looks as if speed and the ability to wear is the operative factor.

I put the blade back on my lawnmower. I'd like to have it sharp, but for what I'd be charged, for the cost of the gas getting there and back twice, and the fact that it works now, I'll stick with it.

And I'd rather have the John Deere above. (Remind me to tell you my John Deere joke sometime.)