If you have a job without aggravations, you don't have a job.

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-- Malcolm Forbes

I'm just saying ... , it sure would be nice if someone could cut the grass visible at the old Golf and Gardens site on Reynolds Street before Masters visitors arrive.

Not all of it; just the part you can see through the wrought-iron fencing.

I drove by Thursday and things are looking a bit shaggy.

Maybe the city or Augusta Museum of History could champion the task as a way of saying thanks for letting the golfer statues out of the shed this week.

NATURE WATCH: Rita Hodgin, of Thomson, shares this.

"Since you are on the subject of the sly, little squirrels again, I will tell you our story. These little buggers sharpen their teeth on the tie-downs of our chain link fence. The squirrels sit and gnaw on these while our five little dogs (Poms and Jack Russells) get their barking exercise. I haven't heard you mention this particular problem. We still have PLENTY of squirrels -- have not seen any less. We have a hoot owl in the neighborhood -- maybe he keeps the hawks away."

RIDDLE EXPLANATION: I should have better explained the riddle from last week and its answer on Tuesday. Here it is: What English word is nine letters long and can remain an English word at each step as you remove one letter at a time, right down to a single letter.

The answer is "startling." It goes like this: Startling becomes starting, then staring, then string, then sting, sing, sin, in and finally "I."

So here's another one: A farmer was going to town with a fox, a goose and a sack of corn. When he came to a stream, he had to cross in a tiny boat and could only take across one thing at a time. However, if he left the fox alone with the goose, the fox would eat the goose; and if he left the goose alone with the corn, the goose would eat the corn. How does he get them all safely over the stream?

(Answer coming Tuesday)

TODAY'S JOKE: Seth Benson, of Millen, offers this one.

A mechanic was removing a cylinder-head from the engine of a classic Jaguar 140XKS when he spotted a well-known cardiologist in reception. The cardiologist was there waiting for the service manager to come take a look at his BMW when the mechanic shouted across the garage, "Hey Doc, want to take a look at this?"

The cardiologist, a bit surprised, walked over to where the mechanic was working on the Jag. The mechanic straightened up, wiped his hands on a rag and asked, "So Doc, look at this engine. I open its heart, take the valves out, repair any damage, and put them back in. And when I finish, it works just like new. So how come I make $40,000 a year and you probably make a million? You and I are doing basically the same work?"

The cardiologist paused, smiled and said, "Try doing it with the engine running."