Mud Season

Every spring our road becomes impassable. It is NOT passable by 4 wheel drive, it is IMPASSABLE. The frost goes out of the surface and remains in below, trapping water and making pools of bottomless mud just below the surface and they're invisible until you are in them. They do appear in the same places every spring giving you a sporting chance, but they don't all appear at the same time. Some come and stay for a while and then are replaced by new ones. Each day the road varies with temperature and sunshine. This keeps things interesting since you have to walk in and out. A mis-step and you are into your knee with at least one foot.
We mark the road to save unwary sightseers from getting stuck. Still every year at least one determined overconfident 4 wheel drive owner moves the saw horse with the sign and plunges ahead and sinks their vehicle to the frame. When they get to our house they have lost some of their overconfidence and are now very sheepish.
Since we have to pull them out and repair the road after mud season, I usually ask if they moved the sign that said the road was impassable. Yes, they reply sheepishly, but are quick to add how good the road looked and how solid it was up until they buried their vehicle. I always want to ask "how's it look to you now," but I don't. I have been stuck on the road and you don't need someone being a jerk to make you feel stupid. It is already plain enough.
This year it was the census lady who moved the sign and drove in about a half mile past us and then buried her car. It was a light car and she made it a lot farther than I would have bet before the road sucked her in. The road was bad enough after she went through we didn't use the tractor to pull her out. (I buried the tractor last year.) So armed with come along and straps we walked up the hill and pulled her out. Then we had her leave it on high dry ground and come back early the next day when her chances of getting out would be improved by cold overnight temps. Fortunately for her it worked. As she and Kris were getting to our drive way another truck came in and turned into the driveway. It was her boss. Pompous, arrogant 4 wheel drive owner who told the census lady she should have called him yesterday and he would have driven up the hill and pulled her out. At that moment Kris was ready to strangle him. "No you wouldn't have" she snapped. He told the census lady to follow him out and Kris said, "No. You follow us out and stay in our tracks." I was still walking back down the hill and missed this performance. I wished she had called the guy yesterday and they could have both been stuck on the road. His truck was much heavier than her car and wouldn't have made it to our driveway after the morning sun melted the road.
It makes you wonder what people are thinking. I guess they are not thinking. We have to repair the road after they rut it up. Water follows the ruts and washes out the road. Fixing falls to the owner. It does make you want to get road repair money out of them before you haul them out. On the other hand, it breaks up mud season.