But enough baby talk.
Since I've been in sunny California, I've realized there's a few things that have become an everyday part of my life in Lund, things that don't happen down here simply because Lund is in the country and Mission Viejo is, well, not. When I'm in Lund, I forget sometimes how removed we are. But every once in awhile, something will strike me as extraordinarily unique to country living, and I am reminded how really different my daily experiences are because of where I live. Being down here has only emphasized some of those differences. As such, I've been thinking a lot about some of prominent things that remind me I live in the country. Here are my top 5:
1. I open my window at work to see a horse (or two) staring at me.
This has happened. More than once, as a matter of fact. But I absolutely love it. I can't think of any other place I've worked where in the slow time of the day, when I'm just about to nod off, the sound of a horse neighing right outside my window gives me renewed energy, energy that can only come from the pure delight of experiencing something so random.2. Tumbleweeds rolling across the road in front of my car are an everyday nuisance.
(I so wish I could claim this guy as a Lundite, but I can't. I just found him on a Google search...)I always thought of tumbleweeds as something you only see in old westerns, or An American Tail: Fievel Goes West. (Anybody remember that movie? I think that's where I first learned what a tumbleweed was.) But I'm realizing now that tumbleweeds are not just for atmospheric effect as the Sheriff and the outlaw walk ten paces from each other. They are, in fact, a regular part of country life. Something you see every day. (Though I admit it still makes me feel like I'm in an old John Wayne whenever they cross my path.)
3. Cows mooing. Constantly.
Constantly may be a bit of an overstatement, but if you listen carefully you really can hear them quite often. The craziest is when they're moving cows from one pasture to another. It starts early in the morning, and even though it starts all the way across town, an entire herd mooing can create quite a racket. Maybe racket is the wrong word. It's not obnoxious or deafening, just a steady white noise. I've come to really enjoy it, actually. It's peaceful to me. Though that wasn't always the case. The first time I heard it I had no idea what was going on. I thought we were in for some real trouble, like maybe that 1000 cows had somehow escaped and were ready to descend on our little single-wide any minute. I was relieved when Blaze said it was normal and that our house would in fact survive the ordeal.
4. The only store in town tells you.
See. It says right in the name: Whipple's Country Store. Whipple's is great. It actually used to be Carter's Country Store, and was owned by Blaze's family. Now it is owned by Dixie Whipple, who is in her late 80's and yet still manages to make THE best homemade cream puffs, brownies, and hamburgers around. If you ever come to Lund, make it a point to come on Thursday. That's when she makes the cream puffs. It may be a small store, but they carry the essentials and have gotten me through some tough spots, like when I realize a little too late that I don't have cottage cheese for the lasagna I've already started, or chicken bouillon for the soup I've already begun. It's also good when you just need a root beer fix.
5. Last but not least, I am reminded I live in the country when I look out the window and see a spectacular sunset that stretches for miles and miles.
I love to sit on the grass on a summer evening and look out past the town to the open land and the mountains, where there's not even a cloud in the sky to block my view. Nothing beats that. It's those moments that make me so grateful to be where I am, doing what I'm doing. And as different as things sometimes are, as much as I sometimes miss the beach and the shopping and the action of my hometown, I love it. It's part of who I am now, and always will be. Just like California will always be a part of me.
They say the grass is always greener on the other side, but I say it's pretty green on both sides.
3. Cows mooing. Constantly.
Constantly may be a bit of an overstatement, but if you listen carefully you really can hear them quite often. The craziest is when they're moving cows from one pasture to another. It starts early in the morning, and even though it starts all the way across town, an entire herd mooing can create quite a racket. Maybe racket is the wrong word. It's not obnoxious or deafening, just a steady white noise. I've come to really enjoy it, actually. It's peaceful to me. Though that wasn't always the case. The first time I heard it I had no idea what was going on. I thought we were in for some real trouble, like maybe that 1000 cows had somehow escaped and were ready to descend on our little single-wide any minute. I was relieved when Blaze said it was normal and that our house would in fact survive the ordeal.
4. The only store in town tells you.
See. It says right in the name: Whipple's Country Store. Whipple's is great. It actually used to be Carter's Country Store, and was owned by Blaze's family. Now it is owned by Dixie Whipple, who is in her late 80's and yet still manages to make THE best homemade cream puffs, brownies, and hamburgers around. If you ever come to Lund, make it a point to come on Thursday. That's when she makes the cream puffs. It may be a small store, but they carry the essentials and have gotten me through some tough spots, like when I realize a little too late that I don't have cottage cheese for the lasagna I've already started, or chicken bouillon for the soup I've already begun. It's also good when you just need a root beer fix.5. Last but not least, I am reminded I live in the country when I look out the window and see a spectacular sunset that stretches for miles and miles.
I love to sit on the grass on a summer evening and look out past the town to the open land and the mountains, where there's not even a cloud in the sky to block my view. Nothing beats that. It's those moments that make me so grateful to be where I am, doing what I'm doing. And as different as things sometimes are, as much as I sometimes miss the beach and the shopping and the action of my hometown, I love it. It's part of who I am now, and always will be. Just like California will always be a part of me.
They say the grass is always greener on the other side, but I say it's pretty green on both sides.
