Muck

Oh Well It'll Dry Up Sooner or Later

The lower level of ground is still frozen, so the upper layer where the snow finally melted has no way to soak in.

In essence, the ring was unrideable. Very, very wet on the surface down to the clay layer and no place for the water to soak in. Just plain slop, and likely slippery in spots.

So, I opted out. Did some drainage repair after I fed the Boys. Did a bit of poo picking and called it a day.

I opted to leave Tucker out today which was OK because the ground did not totally thaw, but tomorrow for sure he will have to stay in during the day. It is supposed to be well above freezing for the next 10 days with some rain in the forecast, so the mud will be back with a vengeance.

From reading the EE board, mud has been the order of the day in many places in Britain this winter as well. I have frankly never quite seen my land this bad because I am on a bit of a hill with very well drained soils. The water table is just too high.

My area is part of a high aquifer recharge area adjacent to the Pigeon Swamp State Park. The aquifer is the underground water supply, a complex system of layers of sand, clay, rock and hollows where Nature stores her water supplies. Across the street from me is a now closed sand mining operation. It is, in essence a 140 acre lake created when they mined the sand and struck water. The larger area is a sensitive eco system which protects the headwaters of several major drinking water supplies.

I am part of an environmental group dedicated to protecting and preserving this area from development. Battles have been going on over industrial and warehouse developments less than a mile away, within siight of my house across the NJ Turnpike.

So, as much as I may complain about the rain, snow, and mud, it is a vital part of restoring our water supply. While the horseman in me may whine, the environmentalist lifts her face into the raindrops and grins.

Honest.