Topography

It doesn't take millenia to change the topography of the earth.  In the thirteen years I've lived at Farview Farm, I've watched it happen in front of my eyes.  In one of the big, immovable granite boulders down in the south pasture, there is a V-shaped crack that was about a foot wide at the top.  Over the years, the crack has widened and the rocks have shifted until they are now a foot apart at the bottom.  Each spring, when the accumulation of leaves has been raked off the yards, huge piles have been hauled over to what had been a significant drop-off.  Those leaves have composted and compacted and been returned to earth and that hill is now a gentle slope.  Gophers, moles, voles, and ground squirrels tunnel under and soften the dirt, which creates "ankle-buster" holes and sunken areas.  Wild turkeys and free-range chickens scratch vigorously while searching for tidbits and redistribute dirt in the process.  In the goat pen, the girls have pawed out large depressions in which they lie, either to get protection from the wind or to cooler earth in summer.  The people who lived here first used bottles for target practice on the rocks in the pasture.  They also burned all their household trash in the middle of the front yard, including cans and bottles.  A car window was broken out and the glass left in the driveway.  I can't say how much of this detritus I've picked up, but each year I'd think, "Well, that's the last of it.  There can't be any more."  And yet, I'm still finding pieces of glass that have perked to the surface over time.  Just another example of how the earth is continually shifting.  The only constant...is change.