For those of us who have led a double life between the town and the country, our appreciation of either has been dampened by the frantic pace of life and business that created the opportunity – no matter how far off in the future – for a dream fulfilled of family, fresh air, and a more measured day on the opened range. Along comes a pandemic creating a spring like no other … a built-in excuse and perhaps necessity to take a break from the routine of daily American life and come together as citizens and family in a way perhaps never seen since the second world war. The selfless duty to fellow Americans, and to the world, is enhanced by the effect this time away from work has had on family and friends.
Though initially our retreat to the farm was tainted with fear and uncertainty for the unknown, very quickly we fell into a new rhythm that revealed the far off dream of life in the country today, now, not pushed into the distant reaches when children are off to college, but now, with classes online and homework in the barn, and shared Wi-Fi and work calling into an opportunity for fulfilling modern farm living. To this point, who could have predicted that Wi-Fi would be the primary daily divider of time and best desk location. Though we have learned that rural Wi-Fi has its limitations, we have also learned to work around the quirks of the system such as downloading movies or class homework early in the morning before the rest of the world gets on their devices (early bird gets the worm). Lack of enough refrigeration space was another surprise as we have four boys, age 18 to 24, girlfriends, a cousin or so, and ourselves to feed each night. So, for those contemplating a walk-in cooler for big game, there now is another good reason to invest in cooler space, feeding the shelter in place extended family!
Firewood preparation this year was ahead of schedule but due to the cooler spring we have had it become clear that more splitting was required. Turns out, this activity was a very good outlet for teenage energy and a great in between online class occupation that would have been a “game boy” or video game option in Wi-Fi friendly city life.
We normally keep two large off road fuel tanks at the pole barn for the tractor, gators, and skid loader, so this Corona experience was little different than normal farming weekly operation with the exception of the feeling of being well prepared despite our predicament. And this is really to the point of it all – having a farm is automatically a buffer and a refuge from the “just in time” urban world from which we have escaped. Very little additional preparation was required by the family as this farm life has been part of our routine so long it is as if little is different. But we know through friends and news channels that we are the exception, and our heart goes out to the folks making the sacrifice that allows others to live well.
We are thankful and grateful for our time together as a family. I want to impart to all of us with both feet planted in the soul of our country that the life we lead in the country no longer goes unappreciated as a place to be. It is instead a way to be, a way to appreciate our blessings of time, family, and good work in the open air.