Hi all.  With the amount of rain and hot weather we are having in the northeast, my back yard looked more like a hay field than a lawn.  Just got done mowing it, and while I was doing it I reflected that in years past my rate of cutting would have caused the v belt on the lawn tractor to shread (I would have gone through a couple of them to complete an acre).  I switched to the v belts at "Tractor Supply" that use kevlar threads to strengthen the rubber.  They do not sell for much of a premium over conventional belts, but they are radically stronger.  I hope that this comment helps someone.