My good friend grew up, collectively, outside Spokane, WA, in Overton, KS, and Lincoln, NE. She and her family of cuties are now in a very urban part of Texas, and they are, understandably, slightly more accustomed to the city life. It was great fun to show her around. Katie and I always have fun together, and the addition of her 15 month old daughter only added to the good times. But as we bumped around the ranch with Eva happily bouncing in her carseat and "singing" along with country music on the radio, it occurred to me that that are a lot of things I take for granted out here at Eli Road.
For instance, I learned that I take for granted:
1. Waking up every morning and looking out every evening to see deer, turkeys, coyotes, or other wild animals wandering around the meadow. I spend most of my time thinking about what a nuisance they can be and I forget what a unique blessing wildlife actually is.
2. Little kids in cities or large urban areas often don't get to grow up around muddy river banks. At least not relatively safe, unpolluted ones. They may be pretty grown up before they really know how wonderful it can be to squish your fingers and toes in good, clean mud. (and that's if they ever do!)
3. Not everyone has a family full of women who made it a point to be certain that every female (yes, we can be a little gender biased out here) born or married into the family knows how to make a homemade pie crust. Even if it takes a lot of practice, frustration, and even some temper tears on the first try!
4. A big, lovable, but clumsy black dog can come across as something more akin to a black bear to a little girl who had never seen such a thing before. (Thankfully she recovered quickly - I don't think she'll be scarred for life....)
5. Having access to good, fresh foods either straight out of the garden when in season, or preserved with an expert's hand - like my mother-in-law's famous pickles - should not be taken lightly. Especially when threatened by billions of mutant grasshoppers.
6. Sometimes it's nice to be in a place where no one can reach you on a cell phone. It forces people to decide whether it's really important enough to bother calling on the landline.
7. Investing in bug spray can save your sanity and your arms/legs from itchy little reddish/purplish sores.
8. Horses and cows happily grazing in a pasture, watching a husband and his neighbors busily cutting and baling hay, and driving around a ranch for no other reason that to just see what's out there can make for great entertainment.
