It has been years since I woke up before sunrise, packed my lunch and hopped in my pickup for an early morning drive to the farm. After a quick turn of a key, followed by a large plume of black smoke, the tractor would be my office for the next 10 or more hours. It wasn't often I would have to partake in the daily farm work. With as many as five people overseeing operations, there were just too many people and not enough chores. Still, I always enjoyed my time sitting on the tractor, listening to whichever radio station came through without static. There was fencing, feeding cows, branding and sitting in the stuffy cab of a grain truck waiting to haul a load of wheat back to the grain bins in the yard. Those farm days may be behind me now, but they will forever hold a special place in my heart. Make no mistake: farm and ranch kids learn some tough lessons and the majority will bust their butt at everything they do in life. (There is a reason football coaches love those kids with farm and ranch backgrounds.) Farming and ranching runs deep in each side of my family and I will forever respect their hard work and dedication to an ever-changing occupation that continues to present new challenges. I had a chance to head home over the weekend and decided, for old time's sake, to wake up before the sun and head down to the farm to snap a few photos of just what goes on in the non-glamorous life.
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AuthorRichie is a small-town boy chasing big-city dreams. When he's not involved with sports, he's spending time with his wife, Fallon; their yorkie, Tinker; and their Rhodesian Ridgeback, Rosie. Archives
April 2016
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