“A pessimist is a person who has had to listen to too many optimists.

• Don Marquis

So I needed a blower and a new rake. Simple enough right go to the local home improvement store and seek out and purchase said items. I have a plethora of extension cords, way to many for one person. Most of which goes back to my Christmas Vacation style decorations at Christmas, and yes one year I actually put up 20,000 lights. That was a lot of extension cords and it led to adding in two different 30 amp circuits, and then of course never decorating that way again because damn it takes quite a bit of time. Anyhow I am off track, so I need a blower to plug into my extension cords to blow the leaves away from bushes and whatnot, and I needed a new metal tine rake to pile them up to be picked up and put in the leaf bags.

I roll down the aisle that has the blowers and find this particular one on the left on sale, $34 down to $18, and I think score what a deal. So then I stay focused something very difficult for me to do as I am easily distracted. I mean come on this is a home improvement store, there is always something to find. So I focus, head to garden center and look for a metal tine rake. I find the bin, I am this close but then NO all of the sudden I am denied my speedy purchases. The $9.99 bin of metal rakes is empty. All that is left is this top of the line fiberglass handle stainless steel top of the line, not on sale $19.97 rake. Yes this rake cost more than the blower. Granted the blower was on sale, but the point of this photo is two items, neither of which were made in America and priced just way out of whack.

I really did not want to spend that much on a rake, but it was all they had and I figured it better last as long as its guarantee, which is lifetime by the way. The blower, has a 1 year warranty and at this price, is pretty much throw away and get a new one next time they are on sale if it breaks. I really worry about future of our country when we cannot even make our own rakes and blowers. Think about that as you have your coffee! Enjoy!

A cost comparison of the rake and blower, both of which cost me about the same.