Playing with Rocks and Dirt

You know that song, Big House, by Audio Adrenaline?  It has new lyrics now.

Come and go with me / To the Engen's field
Come and go with me / To the Eng-ens field!


It's a big, big field / With lots and lots of rocks 
A big, big wagon / And lots and lots of stalks
A big, big quad / That we can all ride on...


[courtesy of Charisma and Tricia - I guess 9 hours was a long time on the 4-wheeler together!]

Look at that expanse of sky!

So, here's the educational bit about rock picking in the country (yup!  another post about life in the country!):
Every year, in late spring, comes rock picking season.  Basically the only manual part of crop farming (that I know of) remaining in America!  Each year when the farmers till the fields, rocks surface.  Don't ask me where they come from; I just know that no matter how many you hauled out before, the next year more appear!  So farmers hire teams of people to go through the fields, usually with a tractor or 4-wheeler (ATV) pulling a wagon, and pick up the rocks so that they don't damage the expensive equipment during harvest...

The fields we had to do weren't too bad.  That means, there weren't SO many rocks.  We could even ride the 4-wheeler some (one picker on each side and one driving and we would trade off) jumping off every time we saw a rock.  We had to spot, pick up or dig out anything the size of a fist or bigger.  Most are about half the size of a soccer ball with the occasional big one that requires a shovel and we need two people to lift it!  Bailing out while it's still moving reminds me of lifeboat MOB drills where sometimes I would get to be the victim and (with the officer's permission beforehand) I would just randomly ditch the vessel.  It's exhilarating to bail and the forward motion of the quad sort of 'launches' you like jumping off a diving board give you that extra spring.  And then of course when you hit the dirt, it's like after you've bounced on a trampoline and then jump off onto ungiving ground.  I half felt like trying that thing they're always doing in movies, how they jump out of a moving vehicle and roll out of it... but I was too scared (and it probably wouldn't have been smart)!  No worries Mom!  We weren't going all that fast, just 3-10mph!  We could see about 10-15 rows over on each side; so that is how wide a swath we could make.  Up and down, up and down the rows... for 300 acres!



I quickly caught on to the things that can make rock picking DELUXE rock picking!  Gloves definitely help save the skin on your fingers, though keep in mind it will add to your unique 'field tan' with wrist lines!  Sunglasses are nice for the sun and especially helpful in keeping the dirt out of your eyes (it's windy!).  Once again, they will add raccoon eyes to your tan.  Bringing an iPod or similar device to listen to upbeat music adds to the experience; drawback:  it does hamper conversations with coworkers.  Bring LOTS of food!!!  Sunscreen, and long pants and a sweatshirt will get you through any kind of weather, from cool mornings to rainy to the blazing sun!  Water is a necessity and is the only item - besides bringing yourself - on the basic list!  


"How do you like rock picking?"  People ask me, seeming to expect that I would say it's not all it's cracked up to be or something like that.  Actually, I quite enjoyed myself, even though it is a bit monotonous.  You get to work in a team, work outside, it's seasonal (I enjoy monotonous work short-term), and it makes decent money (especially a good way for kids to earn)!  It's not particularly 'skilled' labor, so you have time to think or listen to sermons/podcasts... in fact, I had so many hours to think I wrote this blog post five times over in my head! :)

Annika and her heart-shaped rock! <3

P.S.  One of the affects of rock picking was that I seemed to have developed ROCD - Rock Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - you know, when I see a rock half-buried anywhere I have a sudden urge to dig it up and throw it far away!

P.P.S.  You know how when you've been to the (ocean) beach the whole day and played in the waves and when you lay down at night drifting off to sleep you still feel the waves crashing over you?  After rock picking I laid in bed and as I was falling asleep my eyes seemed to be sailing over fields and fields never ending and I saw rock after rock, oh so many round humps just barely showing on the ground that I needed to get out!  Blah! :P