Hank Williams Jr. wrote and sang a song by this same title.  His lyrics are just as true today as they were in 1982.  And I submit that they were true hundreds of years ago.  To read the lyrics of this famous country song, click here. 

This song was on my mind this weekend while I watched my sons work alongside my husband and I.  My two older sons were helping my husband clean wild hogs.  They had trapped six hogs in all.  Our brave or stupid dog, Maggie, depending on your perspective, caught a young piglet by the ear as it tried to escape.  So we got seven hogs in all. 

They spent half of the day cleaning those hogs.  They worked like men.  They were not shooting the breeze or chatting.  They were focused on the task at hand and worked with experienced hands.  Cleaning seven hogs is no small task.

My younger boys had gone along with the “men” to watch the hunt.  They excitedly told me about Maggie and the hog.  Both Andrew and Isaac said that they could not wait to grow up and go hunting too.  Even at three and four years of age respectively, they understand what it requires to bring home the bacon, literally. 

They have grown up with deer hunters.  They are looking forward until it is time for them to be old enough to help feed our family.  Even though they are obviously too young to go hunting right now, they contribute plenty. 

Isaac and Andrew love to go fishing.  Even if they do not catch the fish, they squeal with excitement when someone else does.  They are learning about bait, catching minnows with a trap, and using lures.  They like to keep count of our fish because we catch only what we can eat that night so that it is fresh as can be. 

They are my best helpers in the garden.  They actually enjoy helping their mommy.  Isaac has a tricycle with a small trailer that he pulls behind it.  While I pull weeds, the boys take turns picking up my piles of grass and weeds and removing them from the garden.  I am always sure to praise them while they help and encourage them when they get frustrated. 

Their vocabulary is what tickles me.  They talk fluently about our farm life.  Both boys know what vegetables and fruit we are raising in our garden.  They know the difference between meat chickens and egg-layers.  They are learning to ride horses and can name most of the tack by name.

Isaac can milk our goat, but Andrew’s hands are not strong enough.  Even though Isaac does not do this chore all by himself, he is always ready to help his brothers and sister.  They also help me turn our fluid milk into many different products.  From yogurt to cream cheese, from cheese to soap, they lend a hand.

By the end of the day, Isaac and Andrew come in completely dirty.  In fact if anyone sees them before bathtime, they always remark on how dirty they are.  I just smile and say, “You can tell it has been a good day.”  And, a good day is has been indeed.  A day full of work and play in the sunshine.  A day of learning and new experiences.  

As I watch them, I cannot help but think about the future.  I think about the men they will become.  I think about what good friends they will be to each other long after leaving my home.  I do not worry about their future.  They might never be a millionaire or famous, but they will never go hungry.  They will be able to provide for their future families.  Most likely, they will want to their children to have similar experiences.  After all, a country boy can survive.

Tags: country boys, country boys will survive, deer, feral hogs, fishing, Hank Williams Jr., hunting, survival

This entry was posted on Monday, May 2nd, 2011 at 6:52 am and is filed under Homeschooling, Homesteading. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.