HARD AT WORK

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HARD AT WORK

Austin Said keeps local yards in order

BY JULIA V. MILLER PHOTOS SUBMITTED

WWhen Austin Said was just a few months old, his parents, Mike and Melinda Said, would sit him in a swing on the front porch of their home. Mike would start the lawnmower, and Austin sat there taking it all in.

“It just fascinated him. It would keep him quiet forever,” Melinda said. “We’d wind that swing up, and he’d watch his daddy.”

From there, a love for lawn care was born. As soon as he could sit up and move, he was anxious to get his hands on the equipment. His parents have memories of him sitting with a lawnmower at just a few months old. By the time he was 10 years old, he got his first backpack blower for

Christmas.

“He really didn’t want the play stuff; he wanted the real stuff,” Melinda said.

Since then, Christmas, birthdays and every occasion in between has fed this passion.

Mike attributed a lot of Austin’s growth in the lawncare work to one of their neighbors, Jimmy Wright. When Austin was at Brookhaven Elementary, Wright signed up at the school to be his mentor.

“We lived in the neighborhood together, and he just knew Austin from being around the neighborhood,” she said.

Soon, they formed a special friendship.

“Austin would go anywhere Jimmy would go,” Mike added.

By the time Austin was in high school, that included following Wright to his yard jobs and pitching in. It was also Wright that taught Austin how to do most of the yard work he does now.

Today, Austin still helps Wright out on bigger jobs, but Austin has five yards and one business that he manages himself. For some of them, Mike is on sight to help out, but it is Austin who is in charge.

“He tells me what I’m going to do,” Mike said. “He says ‘You’re going to weed eat, and I’m going to mow.”

Austin said he knows the yard is finished when everything looks straight.

“When you leave, how do your yards look?” Melinda asked him.

Austin answered by kissing the tips of his fingers in a chef’s kiss.

When asked what his favorite part of yard work was, he was quick to answer mowing the grass on his zero turn Exmark lawn mower. His least favorite, though, is weeding, and he only does that on his jobs with Wright.

When asked why he liked working in people’s yards, he excitedly answered, “Everybody takes me to lunch.” And what is his favorite lunch spot? “Loyd Star,” he answered referring to The General Store in Loyd Star.

“They eat the Good Burger, and any burger anywhere we go is compared to Loyd Star,” Melinda said. “Magnolia Blues has a burger as good as Loyd Star.”

Each of the people whose yards he works in have a certain place they take Austin. Wright takes him to The General Store, and Daniel Calcote goes to Bouie’s. The Ricceris take him to Wendy’s or Mexican. Austin remembered one time with Cathy Pigott, they were eating Mexican, and when they came out they got in the wrong car.

“He has quite the adventures with his dining out people,” Melinda said.

Mike started naming all the different pieces of equipment Austin own: three blowers, two weed eaters, the Exmark lawn mower.

“Too many,” Austin said interrupting his dad.

He also loves to pick old pieces of equipment of the trash to see if he can get them to work.

“Our house is where all lawn mowers, weed eaters and blowers go to die,” Melinda said. “The rule is when a new old one comes in, an old old one has to leave, or we would get kicked out of town.”

His first piece of equipment he trash picked was a weed eater, when he was very young. Melinda didn’t think much of it because she assumed it wouldn’t work. At home though, he plugged in and whirred to life.

“Nic Ricceri called one time and said ‘There’s a blower in the trash. Can I get it for Austin?’” Melinda remembered. “So he has his troops trained.”

Austin’s lawn care business is one that exists because of the comradery Brookhaven has offered him.

“Brookhaven is the most perfect place for a child like Austin to grow up,” Mike said.

Austin also knows all the lawn crews in town and all the city workers.

“He calls them his city folks,” Melinda added. “They’ve even given him a vest.”

He also knows which neighbors he can borrow equipment from when he needs something he doesn’t have.

“I bring it right back,” Austin added.

“Do you know what a Q rating is?” Mike asked referring to a measurement of popularity used by celebrities and brands. “In my opinion, Austin has a higher Q rating than Melinda does.”

A lot of times, Austin will tell his parents he knows someone, and they’ll be skeptical until that person comes over to talk to Austin. Recently that happened in Jackson at doctor’s office, where the three Saids were completing a job for Melinda’s Fabrics / Interiors.

“We pulled up, and Austin said, ‘I know that guy.’ He was on the construction crew,” Melinda said. “We got out of the truck, and he said ‘Hey, Austin! What are you doing up here?’”

At the end of the day, Austin’s success comes from the kindness of the people around the Saids, and his own willingness to work hard and get dirty.

“If you cut the grass, and you didn’t get dirty, you probably didn’t do a very good job. Isn’t that right?” Melinda asked Austin.

“Yep,” Austin agreed with a succinct nod of his head.