Only the duties of home ownership could draw Mike Winter out of the air conditioned comfort of his Espero Drive home early Saturday afternoon.

That, and a healthy dose of peer pressure.

At 12:30 p.m., he and his 8-year-old daughter Victoria could be found battling temperatures of more than 100 degrees to mow their front and side yards.

&uot;You see that all my neighbors have mowed their yards, so I&160;figured I&160;better mow mine as well,&uot;&160;said Winter, mopping his brow.

&uot;Besides, the leaves had accumulated in the yard, thanks to the live oak here. It was just time to do something about it.&uot;

So armed with a push mower and a Weed-Eater, Mike and Victoria Winter made relatively quick work of tidying up the yard.

They efficiently trimmed the yard in order to get back to the comforts of home — and to the Mississippi State game on television — stopping only for a couple of minutes to take a break.

And yard work wasn’t an easy job for either one of them, given the heat, the humidity and, in Victoria’s case, the fact that the mower was bigger than she was.

&uot;We’re saving the sunny part of the yard for last,&uot; Mike Winter said before trimming grass around the oak.

At least it was a chore that didn’t involve unpacking boxes or arranging furniture.

You see, the Winters just moved to the area from Clarksdale two weeks ago in order for him to start a new job as chief financial officer of Natchez Community Hospital.

But Mike Winter already knows what one use of his future paychecks will be.

&uot;A riding lawn mower, … most definitely,&uot;&160;he said.