Glorious mud

By Christine Tailer
HCP columnist

The mud brings us oh so many joys. Even though it might not have rained for a few days, the creek valley remains amazingly sodden. Every footstep leaves behind a water filled impression. Rivulets trickle into small runs that join together into not so shallow gulleys that head down to the creek. Where, you might wonder, do I find the joy in all this wet? It is simple. I stand still, and I hear trickling water everywhere. Our world has turned into one big water chime that soothes our souls.

The creek is not running wild anymore, but it is still full and muddy. It reminds me of the color of milk and sugar coffee. I usually drink my coffee black, but it's still fun to imagine walking down to the creek for my favorite breakfast beverage.

The chicken run has turned into a muddy morass, and the lower end of the pasture looks more like a bog than a field, but there is joy to be found in each. The muddy run actually smells lovely. Its earthy scent greets me as I gather the eggs, and the pasture bog has added a touch of blue beauty to the greening pasture grass. I love the way it’s water reflects the sky overhead, and the way the clouds dance across its surface when a breeze ripples the water.

Spring mud even adorns our clothes and house. I’ve begun to wear my rainsuit when I work outside. It serves as a protective mud barrier. When my chores and outside work are done, I unzip its protective layer and find my underlying clothes wonderfully mud free, mud free that is, until our dear dog dashes through her doggie door and jumps up into my lap for some loving. It's hard to imagine anything more joyful than adoring doggie kisses from a sweet-smelling bundle of muddy dog.

And, of course, you no doubt understand that in order for our dear dog to make a muddy leap into my lap, she had to first bound across the floor, and yes, muddy footprints follow in her wake. How, you may wonder, could I ever find joy in a muddy floor? Really, it is quite simple. Mopping is the perfect exercise. This time of year, I damp mop the floor several times a day, pretty much every time we come inside. As I push and pull the mop across our wooden floor, I can feel my core muscles thanking me for the gentle workout. There is no need for a gym membership in our creek valley world.

So yes, there really are joys to be found this muddy time of year. Perhaps now, however, it's time for me to stop writing, get up off my mud-free couch, don my rain/mud suit, and head out the door into our joyful, mud-splashed, creek valley world.

Christine Tailer is an attorney and former city dweller who moved several years ago, with her husband, Greg, to an off-grid farm in Ohio south-central Ohio. Visit them on the web at straightcreekvalleyfarm.com.