07/01/2026
Cleaning up land that has been the recipient of decades of dumping can be exhausting and discouraging.
This is the old farmstead, my grandfather purchased when he was a young man after saving his farming wages. He always took pretty good care of things until he retired, when he began to travel most of the year.
The person who farmed the place when he retired had a different philosophy. From his own mouth, when I asked why he threw discarded waste in piles all over the farm, he said his dad had done the same. It was their philosophy that if a place looked j***y, thieves would not be interested.
So I spend my early cool mornings cleaning up and trying my best to pick up the debris. The wind brings fresh new layers of garbage. Every spring, I see the ravages of winter winds and snows bringing more up. It feels like a process that will never end.
When Campers come and they can only see what fresh new debris has been unearthed, rather than stunning views, the incredible landscape they have private access to, I try not to take it personally.
The sheer amount of work that has been put in to this spot by me and so many others that I’ve had help from is astounding.
The more big ugly things you get rid of, the more nitpicky and eagle-eyed people get about their criticism.
This is just a small visual example of what I am constantly dealing with. I believe these are old plastic oil cans. They were layers deep thrown around this old metal water tank, and what plastic does is yes, it degrades, so the form dissolves into tiny pieces of plastic chips that go into the ground and scatter all over with the wind and the rains. It’s impossible to get it all, and when you had layers upon layers upon layers discarded over decades of this property’s function, you can only imagine how challenging it is.
As I work, it’s a good practice, managing my anger and frustration. Because what can you do? All you can do is your best and when tears flow, you just take deep breaths, and give it a rest for a while.
I’m so grateful for the people who have come over the years to camp here and to see the beauty and the possibility. Their camping fees have helped to Fuel improvements.
Next week will be placing some gravel down, and that should help quite a bit for a while, but it’s a temporary fix. I don’t know what else to do.
I continually craft my RV site description to reflect the honesty of this site, and have cut way down on disappointment because those who choose to be here appreciate what’s taking place and being part of it.
