Becky’s family has a 160-acre farm down near Viburnum, in Iron County, and every now and then, they get together and visit it. Today we did just that.
No one has lived there for fifty years I’d guess, but still standing is the old Sears and Roebuck house. It shows its age, and is home to critters of various sizes, and sports graffiti from the visitors — family and others — who have happened upon the house over the years. The first time I visited the farm, perhaps three years ago, most of the graffiti on the walls, detailing the visits of Becky’s family, was still visible. Now, much of it is either faded, or lost to deteriorating walls. Still there on the walls, though, are references to her dad, “Dead Eye” Glen.
What surprised the most about this visit was how much everything had grown up. Fields and pastures that were easy to cross last time were nearly impassible without a weedeater and hatchet. It’s almost as though the forest and land are trying to reclaim the farm, and preserve bits and pieces tight within the grip of the plants and trees grown around.
We visited the creek that runs through and around the farm, and had a good time playing in the cool water, or on its banks. There was the occassional splash through the water — Hailey enjoyed playing in the water so much! — and the not-so-occassional tromp through the muck to reach the pond at one end of the creek. Aside from being grown over and up, it was essentially as I remembered it.