Once upon a time, my husband and I moved to a farm northwest of Lincolnville on 300th Rd. To get to it requires traveling one mile on Upland Rd.

Although we have complained often, we’ve tolerated years of traversing that mile in wet muddy conditions, and it gets pretty dicey at times because of the lack of gravel and good drainage. But we put up with it because we like the farming lifestyle.

However, it was another story Friday when we invited our large family to the farm to celebrate New Year’s Day. At least 10 vehicles traversed that road.

As they burst through the front door, family members all commented on the muddy road. Although days had passed since the last rain, temperatures hovering around the freezing mark had kept the road from drying.

They said they slipped and slid their way to the farm on a road they thought was graveled. They weren’t used to driving 40 mph.

“It was horrible,” one son-in-law said.

Many of them especially were upset about the mud that was picked up on their tires and filled their wheel wells.

One family brought three vehicles.

“We spent many quarters cleaning the mud out of them afterward,” the daughter said.

It’s an embarrassment to us, and it seems it would be to county officials, for the roads to be in such a deteriorated state.

It’s a nuisance and potential hazard.

Many people in addition to farmers use those roads, such as emergency vehicles, oil well servicers, school buses, postal carriers, and package delivery services. And visitors!

It may be a pipe dream, but my hope is that someday the county commissioners will develop a plan to systematically reshape and regravel the roads, as Randy Crawford suggested before leaving his job as road and bridge superintendent three months ago.

— Rowena Plett