Where is that Damn Pruner?

Okay, so many of you may not do what I do (I'm thankful) or to the extent I do it, but many of you get out there and give it a go in your yards and gardens.

And, while working with and in or under trees and shrubs I find all types of lawn and gardening tools on customers' properties. So I know I'm not the only one losing them.

Sometimes when I get going doing what I do I may have four to five hand and/or power tools by my side, or rather, they were by my side several minutes ago.

Now, most of my power tools are large or are of the Black and Deck orange which is hard for one to overlook. The larger hand tools such as rakes, shovels and axes aren't so easy to misplace under stirred up mulch or a pile of debris I created, yet I've done so. Many are brown and black and although they are hard to miss in a pile of debris being carried to curbside, they can slow up work hiding under pine straw or standing alongside a tree.

I understand branding and marketing, but just like the pruner above, I have seen plenty of manufacturers choose some shade of green which probably looks all gardeny and outdoorsy on the store shelf, but this is helping no one once it's in the shed or out among the green backdrops of most properties.

I am usually not on some covert mission needing cover and camouflage. I need my damn pruner and shears, and everything else. Do road construction workers wear asphalt grey vests? Do golf balls come in green?

The answer: Go to Walmart or wherever they have ridiculously loud orange duct tape and wrap the handles or shafts of your tools enough to make them stand out amid all the grasses, foliage, mulches and green golf balls.

Your lawn mower may thank you too.