View from the Cab: Being a kid

The farm is the perfect place for a kid to be a kid.

After our little house on the prairie received over five inches of rain in about six hours on a recent Sunday, my kids had a blast playing in the puddles and the newly-formed Casson Lake which extended from the nearby soybean field to the road ditch. If you simply put on an old pair of shorts, you are guaranteed a fun time in the water. Who needs the beach when you have this?

My son Kasen and nephew Acer even made their own pop can boats which floated for a brief time. They were instructed not to plug the field tile but seemed to have a great time seeing their creations float on water.

I was tempted to take the small fishing boat out in the field – just for giggles. This would have made the perfect photo opportunity for this very column but it never happened. Maybe an inflatable raft would have been the answer. Imagine floating in the middle of a field with nothing but blue skies above and the muddy soil below. I once saw someone water ski in a ditch on Facebook. Now that looks like fun!

As I watch my own children play on the farm, I am reminded of my childhood. I’ll never forget the Slip ‘n Slide on the brown grass in July or the knee-high corn which my brother and I posed by each year. I recall playing tractors in the old tire sandbox and learning to drive a stick shift by the age of 10. The car was an old diesel Volkswagon Rabbit, if I remember correctly.

I vaguely remember learning to mow the yard with the John Deere 400 garden tractor as a youngster. Dad said to always blow the grass into the already mowed area and to keep a straight line if possible. This was such a neat experience. I was actually driving a small piece of machinery on the farm. When I started to drive the big tractors, I was ecstatic.

These experiences would not have been possible if I didn’t grow up on a farm. I am thrilled my children are having similar experiences. Summer vacation is flying by, but we are loving every minute of it.

(The View from the Cab blog is powered each week by Petersen Chevy-Buick in Fairbury)