They may look like this:
The image is of the road in front of our house. It looks like I’ll never have a clean car again. Ever!
The roads looked like this until the county road grader made it flat again. That lasted almost two day. Then rain returned, and once again it looked like the image.
The county workers returned later and now the road is in good condition. I like it like that. Wouldn’t you?
Now that’s what I’ve been waiting for.
The bee was enjoying the day as much as I was.
And what a beautiful day it was . . . and is.
The frost has gone out of our [dirt] road. The result is holes big enough to bury medium-sized critters. Nobody speeds along our road these days.
I went out this morning in the rain. I had to drive on the paved road just a mile from here. The travels lanes, have sunk over time so that today rain will fill the depressions, creating miles-long puddles–four of them all parallel. That’s not problem out here in the country where we just drive with two tires on the center line in such conditions.
JRR Tolkien’s Hobbit and the Lord of the Ring trilogy are favorites of mine. I’ve read the books. I’ve listened to them on audio. I’ve watched the extended version of the trilogy on DVD. Those hobbits are amazing folks.
Bilbo Baggins, The Fellowship of the ring (2001)
The road that runs by in front of our house.I love those lines quoted above. I got thinking about what it would be like to be “swept away.” Would it just suddenly happen? Or would it be a process that unfolded over time. I think probably the latter. At least, it would have to work that way for me. I came up with these thoughts.
Once again the tug, the allure beckoned softly.
It had started with, “I wonder . . .”
Yet doubt was strong and prevailed.
Days passed, the thought returned,
“I wonder . . . why.”
Somehow, the thought was not new.
Since early childhood,
That had been the burning question.
And the answers Did not, Would not, Could not satisfy.
“I wonder . . . what.”
The mind was uneasy,
The feet were fidgety.
Hesitancy was there.
A step out the door,
“Hi neighbor, just stretching my legs.”
Weeks pass.
“I wonder . . . if.”
“Why, What Where, When.”
The tug, the allure were always present,
Growing in strength,
Doubt weakened.
Hesitancy fluttered,
Fear sputtered,
Feet walked out the door.
Years passed before they returned.
Chuck of Secondary Roads (2009)
Michigan’s rural roads may be in for some changes. The word is getting out.
The road in front of our house, which is located on the left.
An AP story dated Friday June 12 reports:
LANSING – As goes Michigan’s crumbling economy, so go some once-paved rural roads now being turned back into gravel. About a quarter of the state’s county road agencies largely left out of the federal stimulus package, which focuses on highways and other major thoroughfares, say they can’t afford some costly repaving projects and have crushed up deteriorating roads.
Montcalm County alone estimates it saved nearly $900,000 by converting almost 10 miles of pothole-plagued pavement into gravel this spring.
Reverting to gravel on low-traffic roads has been done to some degree for years and long-term savings and maintenance costs vary widely. But it can be an attractive option for municipalities seeking to save money up front and it’s recently been done in a few other states, including Indiana and Vermont.
More than 20 of the 83 counties in Michigan, home to the nation’s highest unemployment rate for much of the past four years, have turned rural roads back to gravel with no immediate plans to repave, according to the County Road Association of Michigan. About 50 miles have been reverted in the last three years.
You can read the complete story here.
The pain is coming home to many folks in these economic hard times. Fortunately, they won’t be changing our road. It is already a gravel (or dirt) road, and that’s okay by me.
The intersection marks the northwest corner of our property. As you can see in the foreground, when the frost goes out of the road in spring we are left with a muddy, miry mess. It makes one wonder.
I was talking with a neighborhood farmer who is also a friend. I mentioned what a mess the road was. He said it was indeed one of the worst places along our road. He then asked me, “Do you know how they kept cars from sinking in that part of the road?” I replied that I didn’t. He then proceeded to tell me that, “Years ago, when I was just a kid, they put logs across the road to provide stability. Before that, every spring a car or two would get completely bogged in there.” As a typical and curious guy, I wanted to know more.
This spring, I noticed that logs were “peeking” in some places in the road. Winter freeze had heaved them and snow plows had cleared off the dirt. Before the County Road Commission began spring maintenance on the road, I took the camera and walked the area and took the shot above. In the photo, you can see the top of a log that’s a bit over 4 inches in diameter.
Here’s another log.
And yet another. These three weren’t the only ones that were visible.
A couple of days later, the county road crew laid down some new dirt and gravel in the road and they graded it to get rid of the potholes that had developed when the frost went out of the ground. The photo on the banner at the top of this blog is one that I took right after they finished that work.
Living on a dirt road is okay. In fact it can be interesting. There is one drawback, and I’m not talking about bumps in the road.
If you live on a dirt road, you can’t keep your car clean and shiny. If you can live with that, it’s a great place to be.
I hope you come back and visit us here on our secondary road. You’ll find a warm welcome.
The road in front of our house.
Life on a dirt road is different. First, you’ll find that there is little traffic along a dirt road. That means that folks look up when a vehicle goes by. Second, traffic moves slower on a dirt road than on its paved cousins. It has been estimated that those of us who live on and travel over dirt roads will spend up to an extra thousand dollars a year on vehicle maintenance. The reason for that is the rough, uneven surface that rattles your car until it develops rattles of its own.
We who live on these secondary roads have learned to identify different driver styles. Among these are:
Speedster — flies down the road. Hits only the high spots.
Sight Seer — enjoys the view. Calculates the potential yield for the crops in the fields. Sees the first leaf of skunk cabbage in the spring.
Lost Soul — appears to be lost. Weaves down the road in an effort to miss as many bumps as possible. Eyes are darting everywhere trying to find a clue. Seems to be thinking, “What am I doing here?”
Farmer — goes about his business quietly and efficiently. May smile, nod or even wave, but all that is optional — unless you’re a friend.
Hired hand — drives the truck or tractor down the road as if he were trying out for NASCAR. Usually not a problem unless he’s hauling manure. In that case you drive down the road like a Lost Soul, trying to drive on the “clean” part of the road.
The usual protocol for driving along a dirt road is to drive down the middle of the road. You keep your vehicle centered. There are no lane markers. When the center portion of the road get all rough and develops holes and chatter bumps, you learn to drive with one wheel on the shoulder. You can frequently find a smoother ride by doing that. (Take care in the early spring when the ground is soft.)
One of the most important protocols involves what you should do when you meet your neighbor on the tractor pulling a full road-width of equipment coming toward you. The correct procedure is to back up and into the first driveway. Wave and smile at your neighbor as he, or she, drives by on the way to the field or back to the barn. Say a prayer for farmers’ safety — it is a dangerous occupation — then proceed on your way.
Perhaps more of us should live our lives that way. Keeping to the middle of the road, but going carefully along the edge to avoid the big pitfalls that sometimes are found in the middle. When another person with a big load comes our way, give them space and a friendly greeting and say a prayer before we continue on our hurried way.
No 6. Canada Geese honk as they fly by in formation.
No 5. The distinctive odor of skunk wafts on the [otherwise] fresh breeze.
No 4. Friendly farmer folk fertilize fields [sniff the otherwise fresh breeze].
No 3. Red, Red Robin seen bob-bob-bobbing along.
No 2. Red-winged black bird on the bird feeder.
No. 1 Sure Sign of Spring. The poor-man’s concrete (frozen earth) melts and the road in front of my house looks like the photo above. No wait. That photo is of the road in front of my house. Does that means it’s spring?
January brought no joy no thaw,
As winter clamped us in its vice,
But now it’s February and we stand in Awe.
The winter has eased its grip,
the snow and ice just melt away,
No gripes, I’ll just zip my lip.
The other day brought the first of blessed relief from the bitter cold. Unfortunately, the camera cannot handle the high contrast ratio. Reflections on the rivulets looked like sparkling diamonds. I’ll have to get a refraction grating for my camera. (If I can save some money.)
As I turned to take the mail back to the house, I heard the sound of my neighbor’s tractor. It was headed my way. Here came neighbor, Bob, and he was carrying hay.
So soon he passed with food for his cattle (aka: steak on the hoof). It’s a common sight to see this hard-working older fellow. A good man, and a fine neighbor.
How many days to spring?
Once I decided to take the plunge, I jumped into this world rather quickly. For lack of a better title, I dubbed it, “My World Goes Round.” Now, I realize that the title says nothing about me, who I am, or what this blog is about.
I’ve renamed it, “Secondary Roads.” There are several reasons for that. True, I live on a secondary road. It’s a gravel road, and that means our cars are always dirty. Always! It also means that the snow plow will come through some time after other roads have been cleared. It helps to have a sense of adventure if you live on a road like ours.
I’m officially retired. I work part-time doing outside sales for my local WISP (Wireless Internet Service Provider). I’ve done the Website (www.reliableinter.net) since the company was formed. Now I follow up sales leads and schedule installations from my home. No office to go to and the commute is only a walk to the computer room.
I’ve spent my time in management and board meetings. Today it’s fun to get off the expressway and enjoy the secondary roads of life. Life is more laid back and there is time to smell the roses.
The sights, smells and sounds are more interesting on secondary roads. And there is less traffic. Yes, the road is usually rougher, but just go slower and enjoy it.
I don’t mind backing up and pulling into a handy driveway to let my neighbor have the road. He needs it. The equipment he pulls behind his huge John Deere stretches from one side to the other of our secondary road. A smile and a wave as he goes by. Then it’s back on the way. After all, it’s folks like him that feed folks like us.
Life is good on a secondary road. Not easy. But good!