Restoration Farm: Curiousity

If you have grown up on a farm and then, later in life lived on that same farm, I would imagine it would be rather dull. Everything has been figured out long ago by those who, frankly were much more adept at farming and managing the land. Our reality is quite different. We are in our 50s and have never lived on a farm. So many of the things Ricky (the farmer who leases our land) does I question. Not because I think he is doing it wrong but I'm genuinely curious about why he has chosen to do something this or that way.

This leads me to one of my more enjoyable farm chores - bushhogging. A bushhog is an implament that is hooked up to the back of a tractor and is used to mow heavy grass or brush. You have probably seen one at work on the a highway median near you. Anyway, I was out clearing some brush the other day and the tractor fell into a deep hole. The hole was completely obscured by the brush I was trying to mow and so I was ill-prepared for the jolt my body got when the large back wheels of the tractor sunk down all the way up to the axle! After adjusting myself and accepting the fact that I was indeed stuck, I shut the tractor off and climbed down for a closer inspection. Looking at the evidence I now believe this "hole" is a source point for one of the springs we have on the property. A wonderful discovery for sure! It is presently dry, or at least it looks dry but I think with a little digging we can restore this spring and possibly dam the resulting stream and make a small pond.