Just got back in from a 3+ mile run. Running in the country has its perks. No traffic to watch out for, no people at all to speak of, really. My running buddy is my dog and we are entertained by pronghorn, partridge and cows at pasture.
As with nearly everything about living out here, I have had to make a few adjustments to my running routine as well. In the warmer months, we have to be on the lookout for rattlesnakes in the roadways. While I never used to run or walk without my trusty iPod, I have become accustomed to running without it, so I could hear a warning rattle. Now, I find that I actually prefer to run without music as distraction. Now, I hear the sounds of the environment around me. Birds chirping and breeze through the grass or wheat fields that line the gravel roadways. I am also more in-tune with how my body feels as I am running, which can't be a bad thing. Perhaps the music was so necessary in the city to drown out all those non-nature noises...
Seems like my life has been all about running lately. I was fortunate enough to snag an opening on the North Star High School Track and Field coaching staff, as an Assistant Coach to the high school team, the Knights, as they are known. Track and Field in Montana Class C schools is generally not a sport of great tradition, but it is at North Star. They have had many successful teams over the past several years, and this year is no exception.
Our team is made of 11 girls and 9 boys. They practice together, and compete at the same meets. Besides the fact that there are many talented athletes on the team, what impresses me most is the quality of their character. They genuinely seem to like each other, to want to be at track practice, and to want to work as hard as it takes. They understand the currency of toil when it comes to self-improvement. As a first year coach, I couldn't ask for a better group of kids to work with.
All that being said, time to get myself cleaned up after my morning run and get ready to head to town to catch the bus for this afternoon's track meet in Malta. Go Knights!
Showing posts with label country. Show all posts
Showing posts with label country. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Dust
As I listened to the radio recently, these David Lee Murphy lyrics resonated with me:
"There might be a little dust on the bottle, but don't let it fool you about what's inside."
Yes, those words are from a country song. I have found country music more relatable since moving to the West in 2007 (has it been five years already since I packed up and moved to Jackson, WY?). Furthermore, in all the driving I have done throughout the northern Rockies, I have noticed that in many of the very rural areas that abound out here if there is a radio station at all, it will be a country station, and there will be two country stations before there is a third station of any other variety. Might as well embrace it!
One thing about living in the country, or at least in a very old farm house on a gravel road in the country, is that there is a lot of dust. There is A LOT of dust! Holy Cow is there ever dust around here! If there were a swiffer duster permanently attached to my wrist in place of my hand, I could still not stay on top of all the dusting that needs to be done. That's how I feel anyway. Needless to say, my wine rack is covered with dust, which means the above-mentioned song lyric describes the near constant state of my bottle collection.
A few weeks ago, Jeff and I attended a benefit event for a local community member who had spent several months in the hospital with a very serious health condition. The benefit featured a live and silent auction, a home-cooked dinner, and several raffle contests. All items being raffled and auctioned were generously donated by local business and families.
As I took in the sizable crowd gathered during the auction, the appearances of the attendees ranged quite a bit. Most people wore a nice pair of jeans with a nice, clean shirt-- a look I have come to call Montana Casual. Some were dressed a bit nicer in slacks or skirts, and others looked as though they had come straight from the field-- as if they had barely enough time to slap the dust off their well-worn jeans. Sometimes you just can't shake it. When Country comes to town, you get it all. What is important is that we were all there to give back to a family who needed a boost.
Any hard working country person is constantly shaking the dust off. We show up to town with mud on our boots and dirt on our necks. But, all this mud and dust and dirt can't dim the fire in our eyes or the light in our hearts.
"There might be a little dust on the bottle, but don't let it fool you about what's inside."
Yes, those words are from a country song. I have found country music more relatable since moving to the West in 2007 (has it been five years already since I packed up and moved to Jackson, WY?). Furthermore, in all the driving I have done throughout the northern Rockies, I have noticed that in many of the very rural areas that abound out here if there is a radio station at all, it will be a country station, and there will be two country stations before there is a third station of any other variety. Might as well embrace it!
One thing about living in the country, or at least in a very old farm house on a gravel road in the country, is that there is a lot of dust. There is A LOT of dust! Holy Cow is there ever dust around here! If there were a swiffer duster permanently attached to my wrist in place of my hand, I could still not stay on top of all the dusting that needs to be done. That's how I feel anyway. Needless to say, my wine rack is covered with dust, which means the above-mentioned song lyric describes the near constant state of my bottle collection.
A few weeks ago, Jeff and I attended a benefit event for a local community member who had spent several months in the hospital with a very serious health condition. The benefit featured a live and silent auction, a home-cooked dinner, and several raffle contests. All items being raffled and auctioned were generously donated by local business and families.
As I took in the sizable crowd gathered during the auction, the appearances of the attendees ranged quite a bit. Most people wore a nice pair of jeans with a nice, clean shirt-- a look I have come to call Montana Casual. Some were dressed a bit nicer in slacks or skirts, and others looked as though they had come straight from the field-- as if they had barely enough time to slap the dust off their well-worn jeans. Sometimes you just can't shake it. When Country comes to town, you get it all. What is important is that we were all there to give back to a family who needed a boost.
Any hard working country person is constantly shaking the dust off. We show up to town with mud on our boots and dirt on our necks. But, all this mud and dust and dirt can't dim the fire in our eyes or the light in our hearts.
Monday, April 2, 2012
One Hundred Photos for the One Hundredth Post
This is it. The one hundredth post to Prairie Ponderings MT. Thank you to everyone who has been reading so far. Whether you have let me know through comments on the posts, via email, on Facebook, through family members, or in person, your positive reactions and encouragement has kept me faithful to this blog. I am glad and honored to be able to provide a window into this very special life to each of you.
To celebrate my one hundredth post, I compiled one hundred photos and created a little slide show set to music. Most of the photos were taken by me, but some were taken by Jeff, Carol, Tom, and Katie. The "movie" lasts about ten minutes. Go make some popcorn, grab a friend, and enjoy!
Song Credits:
1. To The Dream, by Southern Sun
2. Red Clay Halo, by Gillian Welch
3. Almost Home, by The Greencards
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Solitude Need Not Mean Loneliness
Recently, a friend of mine posted the following as her status on facebook:
This friend of mine and her husband are organic farmers in Iowa. They also are producers in a CSA, and run a business called Farmtable Procurement, wherein they help consumers find local and regional food for their events, such as weddings, conferences, meetings, etc. Talk about diversifying your income sources, but that is a different blog topic for a different day.
I really thought a lot about her post. She has been living in rural America longer than I have been. She is also one of the most outgoing people I know. I have always admired her strength of character and accepting attitude toward all different types of people. How could she be feeling so lonely?
Last night I attended "Wine Club," accepting the invitation from a young woman I work with to join the group for its second meeting. There were ten women there in total. Wine and food was sampled and shared over great conversation.
What left the greatest impression on me was how impassioned some of the other women were about living and working on a farm with their families. Many of them had grown up on a farm and are now married and have young farm families of their own. As a newcomer to the area and the lifestyle, it was great for me to see. Just the few hours of girl time brought me a new feeling of the connectedness between families, lifestyle, and land, and a connectedness to these other women who have already gone through a lifetime of experiences I am now going through for the first time.
When I got home, I saw the post above that my friend in Iowa had left on facebook. Granted, I was still excited from my evening of fun and new friends, so her post expressed the opposite of how I was feeling at the time, but nevertheless it really struck me. Regardless of how many farm activities we have going on, nothing can replace a strong group of friends. Maybe my friend in Iowa needs to form a Wine Club.
It can be so easy to get busy doing our daily farm activities and overlook the need for companionship. As a broad generalization, farm/country people tend to be very private individuals anyway, so it can be difficult to make ourselves bond with neighbors and potential friends. Isn't a lifetime of quiet solitude part of the appeal of living in the country? It's important to remember, however, that solitude need not mean perpetual loneliness. We should cherish the peacefulness the country has to offer, and embrace relationships with others who value that same peacefulness and fullness of live; a lifetime pursuit.
making friends is hard. does anyone else feel this lonely? being self employed and living in rural America where you are most likely the odd ball in the community = set up for zero people who I don't relate to...
This friend of mine and her husband are organic farmers in Iowa. They also are producers in a CSA, and run a business called Farmtable Procurement, wherein they help consumers find local and regional food for their events, such as weddings, conferences, meetings, etc. Talk about diversifying your income sources, but that is a different blog topic for a different day.
I really thought a lot about her post. She has been living in rural America longer than I have been. She is also one of the most outgoing people I know. I have always admired her strength of character and accepting attitude toward all different types of people. How could she be feeling so lonely?
Last night I attended "Wine Club," accepting the invitation from a young woman I work with to join the group for its second meeting. There were ten women there in total. Wine and food was sampled and shared over great conversation.
What left the greatest impression on me was how impassioned some of the other women were about living and working on a farm with their families. Many of them had grown up on a farm and are now married and have young farm families of their own. As a newcomer to the area and the lifestyle, it was great for me to see. Just the few hours of girl time brought me a new feeling of the connectedness between families, lifestyle, and land, and a connectedness to these other women who have already gone through a lifetime of experiences I am now going through for the first time.
When I got home, I saw the post above that my friend in Iowa had left on facebook. Granted, I was still excited from my evening of fun and new friends, so her post expressed the opposite of how I was feeling at the time, but nevertheless it really struck me. Regardless of how many farm activities we have going on, nothing can replace a strong group of friends. Maybe my friend in Iowa needs to form a Wine Club.
It can be so easy to get busy doing our daily farm activities and overlook the need for companionship. As a broad generalization, farm/country people tend to be very private individuals anyway, so it can be difficult to make ourselves bond with neighbors and potential friends. Isn't a lifetime of quiet solitude part of the appeal of living in the country? It's important to remember, however, that solitude need not mean perpetual loneliness. We should cherish the peacefulness the country has to offer, and embrace relationships with others who value that same peacefulness and fullness of live; a lifetime pursuit.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Holiday ReCap #1: The Howlers with the Growlers
In my effort to talk about all our Holiday Happenings in chronological order, I am beginning with Caroling. This is a long-standing local tradition I had heard much about from Jeff and his family for years, and was able to participate in for the first time this year.
You may think you know what traditional caroling is all about. Out here, there are a few twists on tradition, created as adaptations to fit the crowd and the circumstances. Whoever chooses to participate in caroling meets at a house in the country, selected to be the starting point. Everyone caravans from one house to the next, driving pickups and SUVs along gravel roads. One person is the grand organizer of the event each year, and he sets the route. The destinations are homes of older couples or individuals, living in the country. That is one of my favorite aspects of this tradition-- it honors those who have lived in the country.
At each home, the group climbs out of their vehicles (carpooling is encouraged), and gathers at the doorstep to sing four or five carols to the residents. This year, we sang to six different households, which, I am told, is fewer than in past years. The route also was twenty-some-odd miles shorter than last year. This helps paint the picture of just how far apart homes can be-- how large an area our 'neighborhood' actually is.
The caroling route always culminates at one final house, where there is a potluck-style party, complete with neighborly fellowship, cards and games, and a wide array of beverages. By the time everyone gets to the party, of course, many people have already dipped into the holiday cheer. There is a lot of time spent in vehicles between houses, so suffice it to say the holiday spirits have been roused. One house that we sang to even left out a few cases of beer as a Christmas present of sorts. Someone came up with the moniker The Howlers with the Growlers this year and it's really pretty accurate. The singing may be less in-tune while the enthusiasm increases as the evening progresses.
I hope I haven't made caroling sound like just a binge-drinking and singing marathon. It's not. It is actually a family event including people of all ages. It brings a lot of us together to celebrate the holidays in country style.
You may think you know what traditional caroling is all about. Out here, there are a few twists on tradition, created as adaptations to fit the crowd and the circumstances. Whoever chooses to participate in caroling meets at a house in the country, selected to be the starting point. Everyone caravans from one house to the next, driving pickups and SUVs along gravel roads. One person is the grand organizer of the event each year, and he sets the route. The destinations are homes of older couples or individuals, living in the country. That is one of my favorite aspects of this tradition-- it honors those who have lived in the country.
At each home, the group climbs out of their vehicles (carpooling is encouraged), and gathers at the doorstep to sing four or five carols to the residents. This year, we sang to six different households, which, I am told, is fewer than in past years. The route also was twenty-some-odd miles shorter than last year. This helps paint the picture of just how far apart homes can be-- how large an area our 'neighborhood' actually is.
The caroling route always culminates at one final house, where there is a potluck-style party, complete with neighborly fellowship, cards and games, and a wide array of beverages. By the time everyone gets to the party, of course, many people have already dipped into the holiday cheer. There is a lot of time spent in vehicles between houses, so suffice it to say the holiday spirits have been roused. One house that we sang to even left out a few cases of beer as a Christmas present of sorts. Someone came up with the moniker The Howlers with the Growlers this year and it's really pretty accurate. The singing may be less in-tune while the enthusiasm increases as the evening progresses.
I hope I haven't made caroling sound like just a binge-drinking and singing marathon. It's not. It is actually a family event including people of all ages. It brings a lot of us together to celebrate the holidays in country style.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Happy Halloween (Belated!)
Happy Halloween Everybody!
Ok Ok I realize it was several days ago now, but better late than never, as they say. Jeff and I carved pumpkins and roasted the seeds, ate tons of candy, and lit "spooky" Halloween candles. How did you celebrate?
This year, Jeff played hunting guide to a few relatives of Carol. I think he had a great time with them and found them to be kindred spirits to his hunting obsession.
Living as far away from town as we do, none of us expected to have any Trick-or-Treaters. It's not exactly like kids can walk from one house to the next. Jeff has told me about how when he was younger, they got to ride in "The Great Pumpkin" for trick-or-treating. The Great Pumpkin was a bright orange van one of the neighbors had. All of the neighborhood kids loaded in the van and drove from house to house, collecting candy. The Great Pumpkin has been out of commission for quite some time, but its infamy lives on.
On Halloween night, Jeff and I joined his parents and the three hunters they were hosting for a delicious meal at Tom and Carol's house. We were enjoying great food and conversation when a vehicle pulled into the driveway... Some neighbors had pulled up with their three little girls, dressed in costume, to beg candy at our door. We were surprised but thrilled to see them! Carol and I scrambled to find a candy dish and emptied some left-over Snickers fun-size candy the hunters had brought into it, and we also had some bat-shaped cutout cookies I had made. Luckily, it took some time to get three girls age four and under out of a vehicle and up to the house.
It truly warmed my heart to see this family show up and trick-or-treat, and I think everyone else was happy, too. It's nice to see the tradition of The Great Pumpkin alive and well.
Ok Ok I realize it was several days ago now, but better late than never, as they say. Jeff and I carved pumpkins and roasted the seeds, ate tons of candy, and lit "spooky" Halloween candles. How did you celebrate?
This year, Jeff played hunting guide to a few relatives of Carol. I think he had a great time with them and found them to be kindred spirits to his hunting obsession.
Living as far away from town as we do, none of us expected to have any Trick-or-Treaters. It's not exactly like kids can walk from one house to the next. Jeff has told me about how when he was younger, they got to ride in "The Great Pumpkin" for trick-or-treating. The Great Pumpkin was a bright orange van one of the neighbors had. All of the neighborhood kids loaded in the van and drove from house to house, collecting candy. The Great Pumpkin has been out of commission for quite some time, but its infamy lives on.
On Halloween night, Jeff and I joined his parents and the three hunters they were hosting for a delicious meal at Tom and Carol's house. We were enjoying great food and conversation when a vehicle pulled into the driveway... Some neighbors had pulled up with their three little girls, dressed in costume, to beg candy at our door. We were surprised but thrilled to see them! Carol and I scrambled to find a candy dish and emptied some left-over Snickers fun-size candy the hunters had brought into it, and we also had some bat-shaped cutout cookies I had made. Luckily, it took some time to get three girls age four and under out of a vehicle and up to the house.
It truly warmed my heart to see this family show up and trick-or-treat, and I think everyone else was happy, too. It's nice to see the tradition of The Great Pumpkin alive and well.
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| The pumpkins Jeff and I carved. |
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| Bat Cookies: A Halloween Tradition It counts as a tradition if I've made them three years in a row, right? |
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Red Flag Alert
Carol is out of town, so that means I get to take care of the boys again. We are right in the thick of harvesting spring wheat, and with rain in the forecast tonight and tomorrow, there could be a small hitch before we get it completed.
Our landlord and his wife have been helping Jeff and Tom with harvest and it has made a huge difference in getting it cut as quickly as possible. While the forecasted rain may slow harvest a bit, it does help lessen the fire danger. Lately, we have been under red-flag danger alert for forest fires. To be more accurate, out here it would be a prairie fire (I have heard it said about this area that "There is a pretty girl behind every tree...).
Iowa is unbearably humid during the summer, so thinking about fire danger is something I am getting used to. Wherever the guys are working in the field, whether swathing hay, baling, or out in the combine, this time of year, the water pickup is close at hand in case of fire.
In the country, people wear many hats in order to provide the same services and necessities that are taken for granted in cities and towns. Everyone is responsible for taking preventative measures against fire, and in the event of a fire, everyone is on-call to help fight it out. So far this summer, there haven't been any fires in our area, so I guess the preventative measures are working. Or maybe we've just been lucky.
Our landlord and his wife have been helping Jeff and Tom with harvest and it has made a huge difference in getting it cut as quickly as possible. While the forecasted rain may slow harvest a bit, it does help lessen the fire danger. Lately, we have been under red-flag danger alert for forest fires. To be more accurate, out here it would be a prairie fire (I have heard it said about this area that "There is a pretty girl behind every tree...).
Iowa is unbearably humid during the summer, so thinking about fire danger is something I am getting used to. Wherever the guys are working in the field, whether swathing hay, baling, or out in the combine, this time of year, the water pickup is close at hand in case of fire.
In the country, people wear many hats in order to provide the same services and necessities that are taken for granted in cities and towns. Everyone is responsible for taking preventative measures against fire, and in the event of a fire, everyone is on-call to help fight it out. So far this summer, there haven't been any fires in our area, so I guess the preventative measures are working. Or maybe we've just been lucky.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Baler and Neighbors
As of yesterday, we are owners of a new baler!
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| This is what a baler looks like. It is hitched to the back of a tractor. Balers gather loose hay on one end, tightly roll it up, tie it or wrap it, and pop out a full-size bale. |
CORRECTION: We own one-third of this baler!
We own one-third of this new baler because we purchased it with two other parties-- my in-laws, and another close neighboring family.
One of the things I love most about living here is the strong sense of community. Though our neighborhood is very spread out, it feels smaller and more connected than even the biggest, most populated cities in which I have lived.
Our family is particularly lucky because of the very close relationship we have with one of the other families who lives just a few miles down the road. My husband and his family have been living and working together with this neighboring family for his entire life, and I imagine, many years prior (Perhaps I should ask someone how long this partnership has gone on!) The two families work back and forth on farm work on a daily basis, and often share meals and fellowship when the work day is done. I am not sure how common such a close partnership between to families is out here, but nevertheless, it is priceless.
Last night we witnessed another example of neighborly interaction.
My husband hauled the new baler out to the field where he would be working the next morning (today). I was to give him about a 15 minute head start, and then drive out to the field and pick him up. I waited the appropriate length of time and then drove to where I thought he would be... and didn't see him anywhere! You would think a bright red tractor pulling a bright green brand new shiny baler would be easy to spot, but my husband had turned off the vehicles (and their lights) and in the twilight, I just didn't see him! I thought, "Maybe I misunderstood and he is at a different field..." So, I drove to the next place I thought he might have been... and he wasn't there either! I drove home, called my father-in-law, and, feeling embarassed, explained that I couldn't find my husband. After hearing the explanation of where he should be (which was in the first place I drove to-- just further down the road than I thought and kind of over a hill, out of sight), I headed out down the road again. By now, over 30 minutes had elapsed.
I had only gone about a mile when another vehicle coming towards me stopped and out pops my husband! Luckily, a neighbor living down the road from where he parked the baler happened to be driving by, and stopped and picked him up. They drove several miles out of their way to bring him towards home. Though I felt incredibly foolish at missing the pick-up spot on my own, I couldn't help feeling a sense of gladness that these people would do something so nice.
Actions like this seem to be a way of life in this new place I am living. It may not seem like much, but to me it is exemplary of neighbors helping neighbors. I can't help but think that in a bigger city or town, this may not have happened. People help each other out in good times and in bad. Here, being a neighbor is a verb, not just an adjective describing someone who lives in close proximity.
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