Day 181
Springtime and
the girls crawling in the grass
on either side
of the road to pick up the rocks
that were bladed
off with winter snows
We
once lived in a subdivision of thirteen individual properties; there were more
horses, by a factor of two to three residing there than humans; I loved the
horse. We had a long road of about a mile and a half to maintain; no county
help as the thoroughfare was private; a voluntary “tax” among the inhabitants
provided money for the upkeep. Problems!? You bet.
City-slickers
trying to live in the country just doesn’t work well. Lot sizes ran from six
acres to over ten; houses were “nice” (up-scale); the inhabitants were
“average”---at least…collectively. Most cared more for horses than their fellow
man. Average!
We
“struggled” with the infamous “road fund” for several years; I bladed the rock
on the road to keep it nice and smooth with my trusty tractor in summer and in
winter I plowed it open. There were a “few” other “country-boys” in the
association and they did more than their fair share, too. We all got along,
mostly with a mutual affection for horses. We took many trail rides; one full
moon night we rode sixty-three horses strong on the levee.
Our
ten acres sufficed our needs, for a while. Then, a 214 acre “real” farm came up
for sale.
Well!
We purchased our “Green acres” and lived there for eleven years, then moved to
Oregon (God’s special country).
While
residing on the farm, we maintained our road, an entire full mile of it. In
winter I bladed snow off the lane; in spring, Candy and the girls spent hours
on hands and knees picking rocks out of the yard that had been encaptured in
the rolled snow plowed off the road.
No
one complained, just took up the challenge and pithed right in. When I decided
the road needed rock, I called the hauler and ordered the material; when
delivered, I bladed it level No “asking” the “road committee” for permission.
City-people don’t know how to maintain a road.
Our
herd grew to seven; we added myriad animals; our family Love increased.
And---I
really didn’t mind a few rocks in the yard…just pick them up and manicure the
lawn.
Ah! Cookie Jar “private road” Sweet Memories!
No comments:
Post a Comment