Photo by Deborah Our garden free of weeds ready to be planted ... spring 2011
Photo by Deborah... Our home.. "Grapes In the Wilderness Farm"
Photo by Deborah...The vineyard Fall 2011.
Dave and I moved out here in the country about nine years ago. All our married life it had been a dream of his and an unsubmissive " no way..." on my part. And as our home became older and in need of extensive , costly repairs, we both began to yearn for a new home. For years our quiet little side street had become A fast cut through for those trying to avoid the downtown area and slow traffic lights.
So, here we are on almost 5 acres of land with dogs, chickens, rabbits and a pony. And we are really in the country. With farmers and chicken house owners, horse breeders And beef raisers. A far different world from what we were used to. I still remember a conversation with a farmers wife shortly after we moved here. I was making a call for Dave to this ladies husband. May I speak to your husband, I said. " He ain't in the house right now. One of the bulls has done jumped the fence and gotten in with the cows." ..... Never in my life would I have thought I would be having a conversation about somebodies cows and bulls.
In less than a month we realised that everybody waved or acknowledged every one they passed on the road . Actually it is a form of art, cause every one has their own way of doing it. There is the basic ... turn loose of the steering wheel and throw up your hand briefly , the keep your thumb hooked around the top of the wheel and raise the other four fingers, the one finger, two finger etc. (So far I haven't seen any "princess waves.") And my favorite, the point with the finger and click your tongue at the same time. (David) I am just a plain ole throw up my hand halfway.
Another thing I learned , is when you pass someone who is waiting in their drive , make sure you look them in the eye, throw up your hand and give them a big ole smile like they are your best friend. Why ? Because every one drives 60 miles an hour down these hilly, curvy roads and you don't want them dogging your bumper all the way to town. So you see, if you act like they know you they won't try to run you over when they pull out behind you.
I do love it out here. The people are truly what you call the salt of the earth. It gets real lonely out here in the day, but all you have to do is go to the nearest grocery store and I can guarantee you can strike up more than three interesting and enjoyable conversations with total strangers...."Hi there,did you plant any maters this year? " Asked an elderly man in the milk aisle. Yeah, but they haven't been worth a hoot...all of ems got dry rot. "Yeah know what you mean mines got it too. And it sure is a bad year for corn..." I have talked to people about their kids, grand kids, dogs ,cats, their crops, the weather, the price of hay....but never any gossip about anyone. People in this area genuinely care for their neighbors and are willing to befriend any newcomers, like Dave and myself.
I've learned names of tractors, kinds of tractors, crops of this area... soy beans, corn ,winter wheat cotton, hay crops and sometimes fields of sunflowers. We have gotten used to the smelly times when chickens house are being cleaned out or a load of chicken poo is spread on the field in the front of our house. (Chicken houses do not smell all the time.) How to tell the difference between hay (fescue or coastal) and wheat straw.
And have I mentioned the fire ants ? Now I sure could live without them. I always keep liquid benedryl in case someone gets bitten. You have to keep an eye out where you stand or walk, because you could be covered in them before they even start biting !
One thing that does bother me, is the way people treat their dogs . Most do not get them rabie shots and allow them to roam free. Or they chain those poor animals to a dog house for years and years and just go out to see them once a day to feed and water them..
Peace and quiet, a rooster crowing, gentle wind swishing through the wheat , the rattling and shaking sounds of dried corn stalks and the church bells ring out the time followed by ten minutes of hymns......ah can't beat this.
EXCEPT, during hunting season ! All day long you can hear bam,bam, bam. And ahwooo, ahwoo of hunting dogs. ( To be continued..)
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