Recently, I was contacted by a gentleman with an unusual request. One of the first female gas drillers in West Virginia drilled her first successful well on my farm. The well is known as Patton #1. A few months ago, this lady passed away. Apparently, she had requested to be cremated, but had not directed the eventual end of her remains. The family pondered the question of what would be the most significant thing they could do with her ashes.

They decided they wanted to scatter her ashes at Patton #1.

So, Sunday afternoon, I am expecting 12-15 people with 4-5 vehicles and one box (or something) of ashes. And this is fine. A little strange, for me, but fine. After all, they’re going to drive away, and I’m still going to have her ashes. So to speak! But I’m okay with it. Really!

Anyway. So here’s the thing. Patton #1 is in the horse field.

Or what was supposed to be the horse field. Now I have BP and Glory Bee in there.

I have explained that I have two (docile) milk cows in the field and that I don’t want to move them for the 20 or so minutes it will take them to unload the ashes. I have offered to take a feed bucket out there and lead the cows to the tippy far end of the pasture before they arrive. BP doesn’t exactly move like lightning, so once I get her to the far end of the field, she’s not going anywhere anytime soon. They probably won’t even see them.

However! I was walking Coco this morning when it hit me that the grass was QUITE HIGH around Patton #1.

What if they show up in suits and dresses? What if they’re not wearing chore boots? What if there’s a snake in there? They know it’s a field, so surely nobody will be wearing high heels. But still…. I should mow a path. Or something. I’ve already told them about the cows in the field, asked them not to block the access roads, and warned them that it’s been wet so be careful to not get stuck parking off-road. I feel as if I should handle this grass problem without bothering them. I’m not sure how much to mow to provide an appropriate space for the event. This is pasture, so I don’t want to mow too much of it. And my mower just left for WVU. If you were showing up to scatter ashes in somebody’s field, what would you expect? I’ve never hosted an ash scattering before. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do! Am I over-thinking this? Is it even my problem?

Now that the ashes are almost here, I think I’m a little weirded out!

Posted by Suzanne McMinn | Permalink  

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