Farm of 10 Sloughs (at least!)

We have plenty of water surrounding our home. In ND, we call them sloughs - as opposed to MN, where every water filled depression is a lake (and they are darn proud of it!). Hopefully most of them will dry up before Spring planting begins, but I'm not too hopeful on that idea. Some of them are huge...

The ground looks a lot drier than two days ago, and the wind will speed the process, but it's still incredibly soggy to walk on. Of course, there was not time to landscape and lay sidewalks before the freezing rain and snow started last Fall, so we have plywood and 2x6 planks. Usually, we ask visitors to call when they arrive and then we open the big garage door. I found that if I stepped on the weeds, of which there are plenty, I can stay above and keep my shoes clean.

Not, so the kids. I just made Zeke pay Dash $1 per shoe to clean his muddy tennies. They all have rubber boots - why did he wear his best tennies?? He's six, that's why.

Here are pics from around our house - starting with the view when I step out the garage door.

Above: West of our house - water is up to Grandma & Grandpa Green Acres driveway and almost surrounds the bin site.

Above picture: Just south of the bin site.

Above picture: Our lovely and very long driveway with a slough at the very end... handy for skipping rocks and such when walking out to get the mail. The driveway heads out south of the house.

Above: Another slough to the east of the driveway.

Above: Our wonderful plywood sidewalk, which leads from the garage pad to the front door. The slough to the very east of the house is barely visible against the blue sky.

Above: View of another slough to the north of our home - in the backyard.

Above picture: Another slough on the north - this one drains the northern sloughs to connect them to those by the grain site in the first picture. The ducks and geese that stop by for a rest have been fun to watch. Hopefully some will nest and we'll see babies later this Spring.

The brown isn't very exciting, but it will give way to green buds, soon enough. Right now, the blue sky is definitely a day brightner. The weather is much warmer and I'm finally believing that it's time to wash and store the winter garb!