Shortly after getting married my wife and I took every dollar that we had and bought 15 acres of Tennessee wooded mountain land.
I felt at $350 per acre that it was a bargain.
We moved onto our land with an old Datsun pickup truck and all of our belongings packed safely in the back. We were excited for the adventure that lied ahead.
Our first goal was to clear enough woods to create a garden and give us ample firewood for cooking meals and to keep us warm during the winter that would one day arrive.
The neighbors were kind enough to lend me their team of horses, Bill and Mack, to pull stumps and break the ground for the first time.
There is nothing else quite like operating an authentic two-horsepower garden implement. I do not have the words to describe it adequately, but I can say that if you are ever offered the opportunity, make sure and seize it.
Here’s a photo of me “turning the plow”, in preparation for making another pass down our future garden. Seen in this photo, guiding the horses for me, is Clovis, who would become a dear friend of mine and someone who would teach me many “old school” ways over the next few years.
Originally posted 2015-03-30 13:25:28.