Sunday, August 16, 2009

Rock Hunting!

(My collection of rocks on the rock toting board)

Everyone's got to have a hobby, right?

Today I went rock collecting.
In the rain!
It wasn't raining when I started at 7:30 this morning.

I spotted these rocks yesterday in a ditch while
returning from a 6 mile hack with Adam.
There's a guy down the road that ties his horses
in the ditches to graze. Well, look what was under
all that grass!! ROCKS!!

They were only a half mile from home, so I
figured I'd get up early and get them all picked up.
I didn't need to provide the neighbors with
any more entertainment!!

I'm up earlier of course, but it's raining!
So, I wait for it to stop and off I go in our
trusty pickup. I'm figuring there are about
6-8 rocks. At least that's what I thought.
Turned out there's 23!!
SCORE!

I knew this would be a 'dirty job', so I
dressed appropriately. Rubber mid high
boots, old sweatshirt, sweat pants and
leather gloves.

I parked along the gravel and
walked the ditch line. Stepping over
and in, multiple piles of old pony
poop. As I found a rock I'd carry it
up the steep ditch to the gravel shoulder
and drop it. I figured it was easiest to
back up and pick them all up at once.

Of course, just as I'm starting to pick
up rocks, it starts to rain! HARD!! G
No big deal, I like playing in the rain.
It's not like it was lightening or anything.
It was actually rather refreshing.

Of course there's bound to be at
least ONE stubborn rock. In this
case there were two that needed more
muscle than I was able to provide with
my now soaked gloves.

So, I picked up the first 21 rocks and put them
in the back of the pickup and went
for a shovel and my trusty ole
rock towing board. This use to be a
door to the corn crib and I've attached a cable,
also from the old corn crib. This is looped
around the hitch on the pick up and you
drag your rock. Of course you have to get
the rock on it first.

The first stubborn rock was fine once
I could get it lifted out of the hole with a shovel.
I carried it up to the top of the ditch and dropped it.

The second rock was another story.
This one LIKED living in the ditch.
It didn't want to come out and it was HEAVY!
By this time I'm totally soaked. My gloves
will never be the same, my boots have taken in
water, my sweatshirt has gained 6" in length and
my sweat pants, well, let's just say the crotch was
down to my knees. It WEREN'T PURDY! G

The plan was to roll this rock onto the
board and pull it up out of the ditch.
I might add, the county dug out these ditches
a couple years ago and to say the banks are
steep is an understatement.

So, I managed to get it rolled onto the board
and tried to pull it out. Of course, it rolled
off and back into the hole. It was obvious that
was NOT going to work, it was going to take
brute strength and perseverance.
Luckily if you look up my name in the
baby books you'll see a picture of a
mule right next to it. Yes, I'm
more stubborn than even that ROCK!
I was NOT going for help.

I rolled that darn rock up that
embankment, only to lose it as
it slipped out of my mud covered
gloves and landed with that mud
sucking sound back in it's original hole.
UGH!!!

Second try, well third if you count the board failure.
I'm literally within 3'. I'm thinking, weight lifting,
exhale when you push. I can hear my heart
pounding in my ears. This can't be good!
Where's Martha with her heart meds
when you need her???

I start to doubt that I can get this up
over the lip. I'm having conversations with
myself now, this can't be GOOD!
Okay, positive thinking!
YOU CAN DO IT!
PUSH!

YIPPEE!!
It's landed!!!!

Now's the easy part. I hook up the
board to the truck and drag my board home.
Yep, I left a 1/2 mile of drag marks in the gravel.
So, let the neighbors try to figure that one out!

When I get home, Bill's still in bed.
I knock on the window and tell him to
come see what I brought home.
Of course I get the "eye roll" and
WHAT THE HECK!!

He was a pretty good sport.
Took my picture and helped
me roll it into the wheelbarrow so
I could put it in it's new home around
on of the hosta planters.

Now I need to ride Adam up the gravel further
East so I can see if those horses exposed
any more rocks!!

Happy Hunting!






3 comments:

Marsha K. said...

Wow - I can't wait to see your new collection Wednesday night!!!

Anonymous said...

When I think of rock collectors, this is not the picture I have. Your yard is beautiful though so will be glad to see the newest collection.

tervnmal said...

Do you need a license to be a professional rock hunter? Those will be a cool addition to your flowerbeds.