Saturday, February 9, 2013

New, Again

     You get used to a farm.  There's the barn, a little muddy these days.  There's the tractor, with the disintegrating seat cushion, the balky transmission and--as of yesterday, finally--a recent oil change.  There's the path that takes you down to the creek, right about where the water rushes through the narrow place between the boulders.  Feed the goats, do the milking, greet the chickens, pet Igor the barn cat, feed the dogs . . . .
     Sure, there are wonderful misty mornings and misty late evenings when there's magic in the air.  And there's the first time you see the (bleeping) red foxes that have been driving your dogs crazy, and the times when the hawks or the owls announce that they are reclaiming your airspace after they've been gone awhile.
     Now have a field trip of three- to five- year olds come spilling out across the old, familiar place.  Everything is new and amazing!  The grass is so green, and the pastures are so huge.  The barn is a towering edifice of mystery.  The goats!  The baby goats, they're so cute!  The shiny black kitty (Igor never misses a field trip)!  The inscrutable chickens!  The eggs!  Footprints/hoofprints in the mud--ooh, what made those?
     Questions.  "Where is the farmer man?"  Answer:  I'm the farmer, my husband is a teacher.  "Do you have a tractor?"  Answer:  Yes, let's go see it.  OK!!  Everybody gets a turn getting their picture taken sitting on a REAL TRACTOR.
     Down to the creek!  While you've been worrying about whether there will be fresh heron tracks to make things interesting, they're thinking, IT'S A CREEK!!  It's amazing!  Turn over a rock--it's a salamander.  Wow!
     Snack time, then it's time to go. Awww.  Regretfully herded back to the cars.  Later, there will be a phone call:  a teacher thanks you again, and tells you how the kids couldn't stop talking about their fabulous adventure.  Can we come back next year?  Of course.
     When they've gone, you tick through your list of chores, in case something got skipped in preparing for your visitors.  Nope, you're good.  Up to the house for some lunch.
     Take stock.  Ask yourself one more time if it's worth it.  Field trips take a lot of time, not only while they're here, but also while you are planning and preparing.  What do you have to show?  Yes, there's a few dollars from the school.  Fine, Uncle Sam gratefully accepts.
     But the kids have left you with more than that.  You have an AMAZING farm, a COOL tractor, an INCREDIBLE creek, FANTASTIC goats and chickens.  Where you live there's a WOW around every corner.  Your old farm is brand new.
     And next week, when the next field trip comes, it will happen again.