The Farm

One of my memories as a kid was going to the farm. My grandma and grandpa Rich's farm in Ashton Idaho. There weren't animals on this farm... only potatoes. This never seemed to phase us though... for there was always so much to do.

As I got a bit older I was able to work for money picking dirt clods from the conveyor belt. One year I bought a bike that way. Nathen would move pipe for money. I was always jealous of what he could earn... but NEVER wanted to do that job.

When I was younger, too young to even think about working, it was just the best place on earth to play. There were barns to hide in and chicken coops to break into (never succeeded... in fact I caught Tanner trying it this year to no avail) tractors to ride and hay bails to climb.

There were also old toys. One of which were the old tractor bikes. I loved these bikes. I would ride them around that farm as if they were full size. So many games were centered around them.

With each baby I've had I take a picture of them on the tractor at Great gram's and Grandpa's. Its fun to see them all grow up and do the same things that I used to.

It's funny that to a kid, it must be so obvious what to do there. I watch them explore and play in all the same ways Nathan and I did. Eventually every kid will try to climb the ladder that leads to the hay loft in the old white barn. Every kid will try his hand at swinging on the pulley (when no one's looking) that lifts things 20 ft up to the loft in one of the other buildings. The 4-wheelers must be rode. The chicken coop is the untouchable building with the door buried down just enough to never be able to open.... everything inside looking the same as it did 40 years ago. Each kid will spend hours playing pool in the ancient echoing basement. The little closet full of games upstairs must be thouroughly investigated. And every kid, without execption, loves the little tractors.