Spring break is here, but there’s work to be done

Spring break is here and I guess for most kids that means going to a beach or a lake for a few days.

The last few years, I’ve seen people that are new to farming, I don’t know if they don’t know they need to do the work, or maybe they just don’t want to work every single day of the year, either way it amazes me how they let things slip by.

I constantly worry if I don’t work hard enough that I won’t be able to make to the next year.

My son isn’t as lucky as those town kids. I told him I’d give him the weekend off but ,come Monday of spring break, we’ve got work to do.

There’s a fence in the back pasture that’s been needing patching up real good for about ten years. The horses, cows and calves are all going through in a dozen different places. So, I’ve decided to spend money on a roll of barb wire. We are going to put in some major patches.

It’s too wet to bring in a dozer or trackhoe and push out all of the trees. So, a major patch job is what’s going to happen.

Our yard, all the way around house, has accumulated a bunch of junk over the winter. Some of it is my doing, but some of it is my kids fault, too.

No matter, we are going to clean it up. I’m scared of snakes and I don’t want that junk laying around all summer, it’s perfect for snakes to hide under.

Out around the shop building is remnants from several projects over the winter. A new well house, a duck blind, some gates and wire cattle panels are all scattered around the shop. That’s going to get the spring cleaning as well.

Our house and garage need a good spring make over, too. Somehow we collect a wide array of tools inside the house every winter. I bet it will take two bed loads on the side-byside to move all of the tools back to the shop.

I also want to squeeze in as much colt riding as I can. I’ve got three colts and a couple of roping horses to get rode as often as I can this coming week.

The week off from school for most folks is a treat, but for a farm kid it’s a week of sweat, skinned hands and arms and probably sore muscles.

For me, it’s just another day, except this week I’ve got a helper. Maybe, I can find the time to take him fishing for a couple of hours.