One would think that two reasonably intelligent adults would realize that during a much wetter than normal spring, the ground near a pond might be a tad bit muddy. One would think. This weekend I had the brilliant idea to go on a picnic at my parent's farm. We packed a lunch, loaded up the truck, and headed to find a perfect picnic spot. We drove into the pasture, somehow not noticing how muddy it was, and I told my husband to head towards a few shade trees on the other side of a cool lily pad pond. While driving past the pond, we noticed a bunch of (like eight!) snapping turtles sunning themselves on a concrete thing sticking out of the pond. I, of course, started scrambling around to get my camera, and John stopped the truck. Well, the stinkin' turtles all dived in the water before I could take their picture, so we moved on. Tried to move on, I should say. The truck was stuck! In the thirty seconds we were stopped the tires oozed down into the muck that we hadn't even noticed was there. The truck is a four-wheel drive, but four-wheel drive only works if it's turned on. 
This is the tire by the passenger side. On the other side, the tires were a lot deeper, but I didn't want to wallow in the mud to get a picture. My brother, my son, and I jumped ship and started eating lunch while John got the truck out. We had some yard trash in the back of the truck that he put around the tires for traction, so it didn't take too long to get out. Oh, and he turned on the four-wheel drive.
The picture doesn't at all demonstrate how muddy the truck was. When John drove up to our picnic blanket, I almost choked on my turkey sandwich I was laughing so hard!
Here's my brother examining the ruts we made. It's hard to tell, but they were pretty deep. Sorry Mom and Dad. It's all the turtles' fault.
After the great stuck in a rut adventure, I put my boy in his front carrier and went on a farm exploring excursion with my little brother, Sawyer. Sawyer and I had fun, but it put Colter to sleep--not that you can tell from this picture, but he was somehow sleeping soundly hanging from a carrier as I was walking up and down hills, stepping over rocks and limbs, trying not to fall in the mud, etc. Too bad he doesn't sleep as soundly in the comfort of his crib!
