Defiled

Pre-defilement... defilation? Virginal? Whatever! Only snowshoe and dog tracks.

I am ticked. Someone is defiling my beautiful walk. At least two people are driving their freakin' snowmobiles through the gap in our fence (which is going to be fixed this spring), down the length of our property and THROUGH our woodlot, over the snowy path that is usually pristine and beautiful. Might I add that this is all OUR PRIVATE PROPERTY and no one has asked permission to snowmobile there? Might I further add that there are PLENTY of groomed snowmobile trails in this area that said trespassers could be using? Might I also add that I'm 99% sure it's our almost next-door neighbour and his kid doing this?

You might think I am over-reacting; however I HATE snowmobiles. So does G. That said, I would never complain about them being driving on people's own property, or on proper trails. I know that in the far north, Ski-doos are actually an essential means of transport and I certainly have no problem with that. However, in this age of climate change and environmental desecration, I can't say I am enthralled with this sport of driving around (often drunk) at high speeds, burning fossil fuels for no apparent reason. (And my, they do fall through the ice a lot in this province!) Nonetheless, you are quite entitled to snowmobile. I certainly haven't given up my automobile. Just don't freaking snowmobile on OUR FARM, and ESPECIALLY when you haven't even asked permission. We don't need you sueing us when you hit a barbed wire fence and break your damn neck.

I walk/snowshoe/ski around the farm and through the woodlot on almost every day with my dogs. One of my favourite parts of the walk involves tromping through the pristine snow in the woods, looking at animal tracks But no more! Somebody else has decided he has the right to drive there on his snowmobile, wiping out my ski tracks among other things. Today I spent half an hour dragging huge branches all over the trail to try to impede the moron who thinks he has the right to trespass on our land. It was a good way to burn off my anger. I don't take invasions of my privacy well.

We're going to find out who is doing this and have a polite little chat with him. The thing I find interesting is this: D, the farmer who owns the field next to us (and lives across the street), always calls us to ask permission to cross the top of our laneway with his combine harvester, to access his crops. We have told him he can do that anytime and he never has to call, but he does call, every single time! Bill, the former owner of this farm, calls us every time he wants to set foot on our property (he now lives on the lot behind us), despite us having repeatedly told him he is welcome here any time, at any hour! Bill could come into our kitchen unannounced and fix himself a sandwich and I wouldn't mind.

Finally, we have the responsible hunters. Bill has allowed these two men to hunt here every spring. They showed up last week to talk to us in advance of spring and see if we would allow it this year. They were incredibly polite and respectful. We said we would rather they didn't hunt on our land BUT when they asked politely if they could walk across it to get to the vacant lot next door, where they have permission to hunt, we said but of course, and told them that they can park their truck behind our barn as they have done in the past. They are obviously very responsible hunters, and very respectful. (Btw, we have nothing against responsible hunting; we eat meat, after all! For various reasons, we just prefer not to have hunting on our farm.)

But then, by contrast, we have Mr. Snowmobiler, who we think is another neighbour. Let's call him Ugly Troll.

UGLY TROLL

Ugly Troll apparently doesn't feel compelled to ask permission for anything. And Ugly Troll makes FUN of our polite farmer neighbour, D, even going so far as to mock his speech impediment. I could go on, but you get the idea. Fortunately, karma is biting Ugly Troll on the butt. He got screwed buying land awhile back and is still trying to sort it out in court. He has managed to hire himself an incredibly crooked lawyer who is milking him dry, but he still thinks this guy is great. However, my hubster, a lawyer himself, knows otherwise.

But I digress. Mainly I had a need to spew. Above all, I think it's incredibly RUDE for people to trespass on our land with their loud and stinky vehicles. It's no way to befriend your neighbours. Manners are SO dead in 2008. Ugly Troll, I mean, Mystery Snowmobiler, is lucky I'm against landmines, otherwise I'd be settin' a few in the woods, ready to detonate at Skidoo weight.

Walk softly, and DON'T DRIVE YOUR STUPID SNOWMOBILE IN OUR WOODLOT!!!