The Fifth Season is Here

There is one season that Vivaldi did not compose for: mud season. Though here on the actual farm we are doing ok (the only asphalt is in our house’s dooryard/turn-around) the public road, Wheeler Camp, which ends at our sign and the entrance to the farm itself is quickly turning into a series of 6″ to 10″ ruts. The farm trucks don’t have any trouble getting through all of that obviously, though our little Toyota doesn’t always fare so well. The lovely sound of our car bottoming out, all while the traction warning light goes off telling us we’re in sloppy stuff –in case the fishtailing up the road didn’t give that away — has been heard frequently these last 3 to 5 days. Though for a change at least, the Prius hasn’t felt compelled lately to pop another tire. At least not yet (jinx officially applied).

At some point we have to take a chance with our heavy equipment (55 hp tractor, skid steer, Toolcat, Kubota RTV) and start taking the winter tire chains off. On the soft warm days (it’s 57 as I write this!) the farm tractor in particular is starting to tear things up a bit more that we would like. The problem though of course is that as soon as we do take them off a late season storm will no doubt blow in. Mother Nature has an interesting sense of humor this time of year. Another storm would be the cue for several hours of labor (and lots of swearing) getting those big heavy chains back on. Tractors, manure spreaders (we use ours as a manure wagon), snow, and roads with 10 degree grades are not an acceptable mix without tire chains. Sledding with farm equipment is overrated and it’s certainly cheaper to bring in a little more material to fix the road later, than it is to repair the tractor after it is has gone sliding off the road and into the woods!