Three Car Mud Room

There is an awful lot of paraphernalia needed to be a farmer. I am not talking about tools and equipment, this story is about clothing.

My garage is strewn with tennis shoes, old tennis shoes designated for splashing in the river, garden shoes, short boots, plastic boots, knee boots, muck boots and hiking boots. I have gear for each of the 43 different rain definitions. I have a wind breaker, a short-sleeved golf shirt, a long sleeved golf shirt, white jacket, black jacket, hooded versions of each of the above and still more coats for severe weather along with rain-gear of every fabric, texture, thickness and weight.

Especially with this last month of exceptional rain totals, the garage served as a drying rack for each set of soaked garments. Any rig that made it into the garage became space for drying clothing. It was not unusual to hear conversations such as, “Have you seen the car?” with answers like, “Did you look under the raincoats and inside-out jeans?” As we have been peeling off wet clothing and replacing with drier ones, I am reminded that the weather will soon be colder and the heavy duty clothing will be needed.

I look out into the field of cows who are perfectly contented as the rain pelts them during their meals of hay or as they graze about the field. Their coverings suit them well during the cold, the hot, the wet and the dry. They don’t need a large mud room to dry sets of garments or a laundry room that is constantly piled with dirty clothes on one side and clean clothes on the other. Just a good shake now and then and they go about their day. Sometimes it would just be easier to be a critter…

Now you will have to excuse me, it’s time for me to go muck-out the garage, again.