This spring we had tons of snow. We didn't get much snow during the winter, but as soon as my daughter got out here to help around the farm after my surgery, it snowed. And it snowed. And it snowed again. After the snow, we had tons of rain. The farm was so soggy and slippery it was an adventure everytime we went outside.
It rained for days. The crops and farmers were loving it. It sure did help the hay prices this year. I love rain, too. I prefer rain over a really hot summer day. The best weather for the summer is 75 degrees, overcast and breezy.
One soggy morning my husband and I went out to the loafing shed to begin the morning feedings. I decided to head over to the barn to feed the goats while he was feeding the horses and cows. I noticed, as usual, that one of our mudpuddles appeared deeper than before. It seemed to grow with each rain. The way it was doing it made me nervous about driving over it. I avoided it but my husband didn't.
I continue on my way to the barn. The goats were making a ruckas as they scream about how hungry they are and complain about my slow progress to the barn. Cocoa is the noisiest, always has been.
I go in to feed, water and kiss everyone. They are a bunch of little doelings born this last spring. They all stand on their back feet, balancing themselves with their front feet against the top rail. They have the cutest little horns growing in.
I finish up in the barn and headed back over to the loafing shed. The rain is letting up. As I pass the mudpuddle I mentioned before, I noticed an unusual change in it. Not a subtle change either. The mudpuddle was now a perfectly round hole in the ground about 4 feet deep and 4 or 5 feet across. "Strange," I think to myself, "that wasn't there before."
I stand there a moment or two just slightly flabergasted and very thankful I had decided not to drive over it. Bits of the dirt around the edge are falling into the hole. I see a baby gardner snake disappear into the loose dirt. My guess is the poor fella was wondering who turned on the air conditioning.
I called my husband over to show him the new swimming hole and he was just as amazed as I was. We pondered for a bit, confused as to why the hole appeared and wondering if there were more possible holes. We decided we could wonder about it just as well inside where it was warm.
I had visions of buried treasure, undergound railroads, hidden tunnels from the house to the barn, you know, cool stuff. I wanted to dig the dirt out that had fallen in and see if there was anything under it. My husband had no such inclinations. He wasn't even remotely interested in buried treasure. I guess he figured I had a screw loose. He did say I could knock myself out if I wanted to though. In the end it seemed more like work than an adventure so we just began filling it in with concrete we had to tear out to get to the sewer line (thats a 'hole' nether blog).
Around here its news to have a sudden hole in your yard. I told my entire family about it. We were all wondering why it appeared. I would be talking to my family days later and they would ask about the hole. It was almost like having a new puppy or kitten. "How's your new hole gettin' along?" But, after a bit the newness wore off. Now it was just something to avoid while working on the farm. I kept waiting for a dog or goat to disappear into the hole as they bounded across the yard, secretly hoping they would just for the brief amusement of it.
Days later some folks showed up at the farm. The couple were older people, probably in their 70's. Turns out they live a mile and a half from here on a dairy farm that we had to go looking for our cow on (yet another blog). The fella said his Grandfather founded this farm in 1918. Drove his Buick here from somewhere in Nebraska along two track roads. It took him months to get here.
He pointed out where the old hog barns were, north of the house. The broken up foundations are still there. He pointed out where the old horse barns were. Those foundations are still there, too. Our house and barn are still the originals. They are 91 years old. The barn needs lots of work. So does the house but now nearly what the barn needs. The house has been built onto. The kitchen and bathroom were not original.
The most important part of their visit: they solved the mystery of the hole in the yard. It happens that the old well used to reside on that very spot. No buried treasure, no underground railroads or secret tunnels. Just an old well. But the mystery was fun while it lasted.
Just another day on the farm.
copyright 2009