We are quickly approaching the summer solstice, but we have yet
to have any real heat.  The last few days have been rainy which
is quite unusual for this time of year.  As one author put it,
instead of global warming, this might be called global
"weirding."  If this keeps going, the tomato harvest is going to
be late this year.  As I had mentioned previously, the heavy
winter rains have resulted in extra heavy growth of grass and
weeds. The scythe arrived a few days ago:

https://wm.sdf.org/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=17420

Thankfully, the unit came with a healthy amount of literature
about its use and maintenance so I think I am off to a good
start.  I initially started with mowing some small patches in the
garden.  Although it will take some practice to become proficient
with the tool, I am already amazed at how well the scythe slices
through the grass and with little effort.  At about 5 minute
intervals, I would pause and give the blade a once over with the
whetstone which is about a 30 second procedure and then it is
back to mowing.  After about an hour of mowing, I find I am not
tired and actually enjoying myself.  The silence of the forest
has not been disturbed and the birds continue to sing.  Using the
string trimmer left me exhausted after just a short amount of
time and I am sure it could be heard for miles.  It will take
some practice, but I am already convinced the scythe was a wise
investment. Best of all, it's powered by the morning breakfast.
8-D

After a few hours use, the blade has to be peened and honed again
to bring out metal and set the bevel.  This is also a process
that requires some practice, but having a peening jig helps.
The process requires about 30 minutes, but is needed to keep the
blade keen.  Once that is done, one is good to go.

After mowing, I stand back to admire my work.  There is some
stubble left over, but this mowing is to keep the fire risk down,
so no need to impress.  It is nice though to have the grass mowed
down.  Once I work my way down the driveway, I will probably have
had enough practice to take on the acre or so of weeds on the
lower side of the property.  Hopefully the ditch blade is up to
the task.  If not, I can order a bush blade.  Scything also helps
me to become more intimately familiar with the property especially
the different kinds of vegetation that grows in different places.

*Update*

After gaining some confidence with the usage of the scythe, I
decided to start tackling the weeds and grass on the lower side
of the property.  When I entered that part of the property, I was
aghast at how much the weeds and grass had grown since the
beginning of March when I hired someone to mow it.  The grass was
up to my shoulders and I stand at 6'4".  I stood for a moment
with my hands on my hips wondering if I was willing to take this
one on!  I decided to start mowing and see how much I
accomplished in the morning then make a decision.  To my
surprise, the scythe sliced through the grass and weeds fairly
easily.  I wanted to clear a path to the well house for easy
access.  After one hour, I was able to clear a swath 9 feet by 90
feet which is not bad for a rank amateur like myself.  By this
time, the morning sun was peeking above the trees and dew was
burning off, so I decided to quit as the best scything time is
when the morning dew is still on the grass.  The extra moisture
content in the grass and weeds makes it easier to slice.
Assuming the dry season is in full swing, I figure I can mow most
of the space if I put in an hour or so for the next couple of
weeks.  Hopefully after that, I will not need to do much mowing
except small spots of maintenance.  There's no real hurry except
to keep Calfire happy.

Before:

https://wm.sdf.org/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=17429

After (Not the best pic, but you get the idea):

https://wm.sdf.org/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=17430

Before I attack it again tomorrow, I will probably take a few
minutes to peen the blade and give it a keen edge although today
it performed admirably.