I’ve seen many versions of this list over the years, most recently making the rounds on facebook. With so many of us now drawn to the idea of small town life, a desire to take life at a slower pace and a renewed appreciation of the countryside, it seems a good time to revisit some age-old wisdom and heed the hard-earned advice of a farmer. Consider this your very own Grey County version of Farming (Or Just Plain Living) For Dummies.

Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.

Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.

Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.

A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.

Words that soak into your ears are whispered, not yelled.

Meanness doesn’t just happen overnight.

Forgive your enemies; it messes with their heads.

Do not corner something that you know is bigger than you.

It doesn’t take a very big person to carry a grudge.

You cannot unsay cruel words.

Every path has a few puddles.

When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.

The best sermons are lived, not preached.

Most of the stuff people worry about ain’t never gonna happen anyway.

Don’t judge folks by their relatives.

There are no set hours, you’re done when the work is done…and it’s never done.

Just because it’s always been done that way doesn’t make it right.

The reason so many people do not recognize opportunity is that it usually goes around wearing overalls and looking like hard work.

Remember, silence is sometimes the best answer.

Live a good an honourable life, then when you get older and think back, you’ll enjoy it all a second time.

Don’t interfere with something if it ain’t bothering no one.

Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.

If you find yourself in a hole, first thing to do is stop diggin’.

Sometimes you get and sometimes you get got.

The biggest troublemaker you’ll probably ever have to deal with looks back at you from the mirror every morning.

Always drink upstream from the herd.

Good judgement comes from experience…and a lot of that comes from bad judgement.

Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin’ it back in.

If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of influence, try orderin’ around somebody else’s dog.

Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak frankly and enjoy the ride.

Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he’s too old to fight he’ll just shoot you!

Remember to load your brain before you shoot your mouth.

Grow food or flowers, not lawns.

Don’t grab the electric fence to see if it’s working.

The more you know, the more you don’t know.