The family farm is looking good this February, and preparations are already beginning for planting this spring.

The frost in the ground is melting, and the water is leaching up to the surface, making for some thick mud around the farm.

The terraces my grandfather built to block erosion still continue to do their jobs. It is not flat out here!

Interestingly, there are some smooth rocks that have been exposed high up on a ridge that were exposed by plowing. Are they remnants of glaciers? A giant rock was dumped on the farm eons ago, and still sits by the creek.

Also,  my eyes then picked out pieces of red clay tile (made in St. Louis?).

I quickly realized the fragments extended in a straight line; I had found one of the old tiles, as they’re called, that drained the fields. They’ve been replaced by new ones, but they still survive in places.

The creeks need to be kept clear of trees, or they will ironically break the banks down, causing erosion.