The above photo shows the worst of it, but let's start at the beginning of the project, which was not to extract the Fiat from deep in the mud.
This is what we call the Swamp Road,
and this road/path is the only access means we have to the northwest area of the original 100 acres. So, since it hadn't rained in weeks and the low lying areas are dry, this was a good opportunity to mow down brush that with natural succession eventually turns into small trees and impenetrable tall brush. And then, large trees. Chinese privet and oaks are the worst offenders.
So after working in the front northeast corner of the property, I planned to work on the other side of the Swamp Rd, which I thought would be easy to traverse since it has been so dry. The swamp drains from the right side of the road to the left through two culverts that we installed years ago when we setup the road. Unfortunately, beavers plugged up those culverts and created a pond on the right side of the road. When driving over the road I got too close to the right edge and the front wheel sank into the dirt softened by the nearby water.
I tried backing out and the rear wheel sank.
So, I called Jeffrey and he brought the International with the dual rear wheels.
He backed down the road, attached a chain to the back of the Fiat and pulled. However, instead of pulling the Fiat out, the Fiat's rear tire rolled along the edge of the dry solid part of the road without coming up on it and actually started sinking deeper into the mud. We were afraid it was going to flip over so we quit pulling from the back. But, with swamp on both sides of the road, there was not enough room to get the dual-wheeled International around the Fiat to pull from the front.
However, there was just barely enough room to get the 4-wheel drive John Deere 6120E around the left side of the Fiat so we could pull from the front.
With a chain now between the 120 and the Fiat we tried pulling from the front. Again, the Fiat wheels just road along the steep dry edge of the road without coming up on it. And again, the Fiat was sinking more and tilting into the swamp.
Now it was time to go back to the arch barn and get the swamp boards. These are heavy oak planks, a foot wide and 2 to 3 inches thick cut from our trees with the sawmill. With shovel digging, much pushing and shoving, and sloshing around in 1 foot deep swamp water, Jeffrey got the boards in position under the leading edge of the tires (the farm owes Jeffrey a new pair of boots). We were ready to try again. And by this time it was dark, we were working by the tractor lights.
After several times of pulling the Fiat and repositioning the boards, we were finally able to drag the Fiat out onto the far side of the Swamp Road. Then very carefully, Jeffrey drove back across the Swamp Road and back to the arch barn. I brought the 120 back. Mowing the northwest corner area will have to wait until the swamp drains and I get the Swamp Road rebuilt.
A couple of days layer I took a 20 foot pole and cleaned out the obstructions in the culverts, getting the water flowing again. Next I need to use the backhoe and bring in much more dirt.
