Norris Family Blog

Batteries and Debris

During the previous two days rain had prevented us from going outside and we had done some shopping. I had purchased 3 new batteries for the ATVs, so after fixing breakfast for us, I went to the hay shed to install the batteries. Stacey went along to help me and brought her iPod, so I hooked it to the radio to play music while we worked. I filled the batteries with the acid and hooked them to each 4-wheeler, then started them and let Stacey and Linda ride them around a little as I continued to install the rest of the batteries. All but one of the ATVs started after the new batteries were in place. I hooked the snatch strap to the one that wouldn't start and Linda pulled me down the road to the mum patch to get it running. It popped and cracked a few times, then finally began running. We unhooked the strap and I drove it back to the hay shed. We filled them with gas and let them run a few minutes, then shut them off and restarted to make sure they were ready to use. Stacey was eager to take a ride around the farm, so we each started one of the ATVs and headed across the road and through the creek. The water was still a little high, but safe to cross. Stacey led us around the hay fields and I surveyed the debris the creek had dropped in the hay fields again. It wasn't really bad this time, but will require the tractor to shove the stuff out of the fields again. Water was flowing off the sides of the hills and there were piles of leaves where they had washed down to the bottom. There had been a slight blockage that had built up upstream from the culvert tiles I had placed in the ditch. The water had overflowed the ditch and the crossing I had built. The dirt will need replacing again. I'm glad I have the scoop and small backhoe that mounts on the tractor to do those jobs or it would cost me money to have it done.