Empty Harvest

It's taken me a while to get words to flow. Last Tuesday my family got some bad news, my cousin Bobby had a stroke at the ripe young age of 42. By Friday the news was even worse, we'd lost him.

Over 1000 people came out to pay respects to an amazing person.

The news hit me hard. In fact, it hit everybody pretty hard. Not only was Bobby close to my age, he was the cousin I grew up looking up to. It was his hand-me-down jeans that I got to wear (finally getting some "cool" clothes), he was an all-star basketball player (just like his dad), and he was just old enough to be into things I didn't even know about until we hung out. Things like "Beverly Hills Cop" and the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.

After news of his death, area farmers banded together and harvested his crops in a single day.

The drive down to Jacksonville was the storied one I remember from my childhood. The same 2 lane country highways. The same run down farm towns. The windmill. The turtle. The Carnation (now Nestle) plant. It wasn't just a drive, it was a trip down memory lane. Dad and I reminisced all the way down and back. Two hours each way. I owe Bobby for that. It was time I think we both needed.

In a 52 hour trip (24 hours of it in a car), I tried to maximize the time I had available. I got over to see the grandparents, got 2 breakfasts in with Dad, a few evening hours with the family, and a two hour ride with JD to escape the heaviness that is reality. It makes me miss having a two day weekend. Not having consecutive days off of work has really limited my ability to get home and spend time with the family. Time that seems to be passing by faster year after year.

It also marked the first time for me to have social media be the delivery of the information. Most of us found out via Facebook. We kept tabs, shared stories, shared grief all on Facebook. Friends, family, and strangers alike. All while I'm watching another friend battle an advanced and aggressive cancer via Facebook. It's really made me rethink social media.

And just like that it's back to normal, though I've not been able to shake the emptiness created by the loss. I'm sure that will fade with time, but as it stands now, every time I fire up the tractor, I think of Bobby. When I pass the basketball hoop in the drive, I think of Bobby. And when I see the red top cap on my bike, I think of Bobby. All in all not bad things. 

Cross Farming

The cooler temps are signalling the onset of two of my favorite seasons: cyclocross season and caramel season. I love fall. Crisp clear air, low humidity, cold mornings, cool afternoons. Perfect for campfires, camping, riding, and just being outside. We're hosting a TBRA cross race out at our Cadence Creek Riding Center with the fine folks at Cross The Way. We've been working hard to get the course ready for racing. Grooming it for bikes rather than just marking a path in a field. I really want this course to shine, taking cues from the recent Olympic XC course and the Eva Bandman cyclocross park in Louisville. I want it to be a groomed course ready for riding at all times, competitively, for recreation, with your dog, or on a horse.

We've  been working really hard, but we won't have it 100% as I want it before the race, but it will be close. The new 3 in 1 rake tool H. bought for the tractor has really sped up the grooming of the lanes. It's also allowed for some new fire roads to be cleared through the woods. Not to bad considering we've only been here since February and I'm averaging 1 day off to work a week.

Along with cleared fire road lanes and groomed field sections, we've been clearing trail in the woods. There is a creek that runs along the back of our property that has been dry all spring and summer. The base is solid even when wet so I've been working to clear it for additional riding fun. Unfortunately, the banks are the only "hill/run-up" options on the property. However there are plans for building a fly-over and creating some technical sections with the ton of large rock we have still piled up at the barn.

Other than that it's been work as usual with some riding thrown in for good measure for both me and the pups. Days are growing shorter, work hours seem to be growing longer, and time keeps tick, tick, ticking into the future. Some days it feels as though we'll never catch up to the laundry list of "to do" chores.

But just because there is still a lot of work to get done it doesn't mean we don't take the time to enjoy a little down time every now and then. All this trail work has stacked up plenty of fire wood and the camp fires have been roaring most of the week. I think it's going to be a good fall.