Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*
Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol
Already have an account?
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Peter Smith

Essayist Peter Smith honors the small engine repairman

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Commentator Peter Smith
Commentator Peter Smith.
MPR Photo/Sarah Fleener

Summer is with us, and so too are all the little gas-powered machines and gardening tools -- devices that can be just a bit erratic when it comes to getting them started and keeping them going. You may not know what to do, but this week essayist Peter Smith honors a noble, quintessentially Minnesotan profession whose practitioners almost certainly do.

Gallery
1 of 1
Commentator Peter Smith
Commentator Peter Smith.
MPR Photo/Sarah Fleener