Adventures at da Farm

We knew it was going to be a challenge to get to the farm for Easter this year due to excess water, but I just had no idea the true extent of the damage until we got to see it up close. Our minivan was completely unable to traverse the difficult terrain, so on Friday afternoon we had to rendezvous with my dad 3 miles from the farm on Hwy 11. We transferred our stuff into the back of his Honda Ridgeliner. Unfortunately, it was raining like crazy making an already mucky, muddy gravel road even more treacherous. Three different times the Ridgeliner went sideways and I grabbed the "oh sh!t" bar for dear life while praying like crazy. Thankfully, we arrived at da farm, safe and sound {thanks dad!}.
It wasn't until Saturday when Steve and I went out together on the quad-runner to survey the roads that we really appreciated the destruction. Normally we have 2 western routes, 1 south-east route and 1 northern route to get to the farm. Unfortunately, only one of those routes was an option on Friday and only if you had a four-wheel drive vehicle. Water, water everywhere with large washouts, collapsed culverts, and areas where muskrat tunneling had destroyed the road. To say it looks bad, is an understatement.
So we did the only thing useful we could do and worked on thinning the excessive muskrat population. Believe it or not, even tho' I grew up on the farm with two brothers who are hunting enthusiasts and married another gun-toting addict, I have never in my life shot an animal. Steve helped me learn how to handle his 22 pistol and the next thing I knew, I was huntin' 'skrats. I ended my first real hunting adventure feeling like a true redneck with a score of Renae 2: Muskrats 1. Not bad for my first try and I felt like I was contributing in a very small way to the reduction of one of the causes of the road destruction. Ultimately, Steve is hoping that I will be more supportive of his gun collecting addiction {jury is still out on that}.