Morning Commute

    

     Morning commute, the above picture is most likely what comes to mind for most city dwellers.  A few weeks back I ran some errands early in the morning and wanted to share what a typical morning commute in our area involves.

 

As we headed out of town we encountered  a country traffic jam, better know as a cold grain truck that couldn't get up to speed up a slight incline.  Country traffic jams usually involve one or more farm vehicles holding up the general populace.  With several hills in the area, the line of aggravated drivers often gets quite long between passing zones.

 



     'Bet you don't see one of these warnings very often in the city.  And, sure enough, soon after we saw this sign, we encountered this:

 

Of course, we had to wait for a passing zone to get around him.  Is that "sharing" the road?  Maybe there should be sign that shows a car stating "Share the road."

 

    

 

 I love country roads.  Notice the hoof prints in the center of the road.

 

    I love old cars, too.  No doubt we will see this one someday in the Old Settler's Day parade.....or all souped up and entered in the demolition derby!

 

 

 

 

I've always admired this old stone grain bin. I'm glad no one has torn it down

 

 

 

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 It has become somewhat of a fad for people to hang or paint a giant quilt block on their barn.  I'm not sure how it got started, but it is a neat reminder of the old fashioned way.

 

 

 

My fellow traveller for the morning.  She came along so we could legally drive in the commuter lane.

Her happy demeanor also makes the trip seem less like a chore........but you'll get that in a small town.

 

 

GPS and Rural Roads

      We own a wonderful invention lovingly referred to as our GPS.  It is a great little machine that allows we country folk to head to the big city and feel like we can find our way around.  However, using one in a rural area can be a little tricky.  If you have never seen the above warning on your GPS, then let me illuminate you.
     Of course, some of the problem may be that living the rural way of life means that we are cheap-skates and don't want to update our GPS.  Especially since the update costs more than the little machine cost in the first place. As a result, I think our GPS must go into panic mode sometimes. There is a new bridge in our area and every time we cross it, the GPS screen makes it look like we are swimming the English channel.  I can imagine that suave, British accent screaming out: "Turn around when possible, you are about to drown!"
     I don't know if the man of your house is anything like mine, but according to him, the GPS is never wrong.  A couple of years ago, when our GPS was brand new, we were travelling far from home sweet home one night. We were all exhausted. We had been travelling all day, looking forward to a stay in a hotel along our way.  We kept seeing  signs for hotels, but just felt the urge to keep going a little further. The head of household typed in "hotel" into the GPS and it navigated us to the nearest one. We got off the exit and there was a beautiful Holiday Inn all lit up and welcoming.  However, the GPS was leading us into the nearby small town.  So, of course, we had to follow the voice on the screen, instead of our instincts.  Our instincts were right.
     We like to keep our GPS set on the "Shortest route" setting. That means we often get to travel the scenic route.  Here is an example of one such time. I had to take some supplies to my hard working man while he was on a job somewhere out in the country.He gave me the address and I typed it into the GPS.  We had no trouble finding him and gave him the supplies.  I decided to head over to a nearby rural village to pick up some things at the Mennonite bulk store.  So, I typed in the  name of the town and we took off.  We drove along for awhile, enjoying the scenery, obeying the commands of the beautiful British voice.  At one point, I hear, "turn left" and was suddenly grateful for 4-wheel drive.  This was similar to the trail we ended up on.  Of course, the screen made it look like a four-lane highway.

 

     Our next turn brought us to a cow pasture.  We received an unusual stare from the man in the feed truck, but smiled and gave him "the wave" as we passed.  I'm sure that my mobile billboard emblazoned with "S & D Seamless Gutters" gave him all the explanation he needed. After leaving the cow pasture, we were relieved to be back on an actual gravel road and started to relax and enjoy the scenery again.  As we came up over a hill, the GPS showed that we were to continue in a straight path, but this is what we saw:

     I had to turn around.  I kept hearing "Turn around when possible" and the arrow on the screen kept pointing straight ahead, but I wasn't going to follow.  We eventually found a recalculated route that seemed to satisfy the "voice" and made it to where we were headed.

     I don't know how a GPS is programmed or how they choose what roads to include, but obviously the programmer never travelled this way before!  I guess next time I may have to employ the old fashioned GPS: stop and ask for directions... but you'll get that in a small town.

 

 

 

 



America's Coolest Small Towns

  

      I just read about Budget Travels "Coolest Small Town Contest".  So I had to head over to their website to check out their list.  I was rather pleased to see one town that I lived near as a young teen and at least 3 others that I have actually been to visit!  They list the populations of each place as well as tourist information.  So, hop on over there and check it out and vote for your favorite! You may be surprised to find your favorite small town among the top 10!
http://www.budgettravel.com/contest/americas-coolest-small-towns-2013,14/#candidate-detail12247

        Of course, if this sleepy little town were named among the "Coolest", it would be a rather big deal.  Everyone in town would have voted by now, and there would have been a "results party" to see who won, and the mayor would have named a street after Budget Travel..........but you'll get that in a small town.

Advice from an Old Farmer

I read this today and just had to share.

Old Farmer's Advice:

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

Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.

The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin'. 

Always drink upstream from the herd. 

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment. 

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 don't jes' happen overnight. 

Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads. 

You cannot unsay a cruel word. 

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. 

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer. 

Live a good, honorable life... Then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time. 

Don 't interfere with somethin' that ain't bothering you none.  

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

Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got. 

Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight,
he'll just kill you.

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 some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around..

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. 

Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

*Great straight-forward common sense advice with a bit of old fashioned dry humor......but you'll get that in a small town!

Country Compassion

 

      Tragedy struck our small town this week.  A mother and her young children were headed out of town on a snowy morning and slid off the road down an embankment and struck a tree.  A three-year old boy was killed.  Our community is in mourning.  Even though many of us did not even know the family, mutual tears were shed for the family, the mother, the father, the brother. 
   A member of our close knit community has been taken away. Even in the everyday busyness, there is a somber curtain that hangs over the area.  I have heard many say that this is such a terrible time of the year to go through something like this, but any time of the year would be a terrible time to go through such a loss.
     I drove past the site of the crash today.  I could see the tire tracks and the spot where the car struck the tree.  I shed a few tears thinking of the young mother and what she must be going through. I prayed for the family and the days ahead in dealing with the loss of a young child. I thought of the rescue workers and the policemen and the images that they must be dealing with in this loss.
     I was reminded of the true compassion found in the small town way of life as our family discussed the loss yesterday.  An uncle went over to clear the snowy sidewalks in front of the home of the family that was in the car crash.  In a small town area, when you hear of a loss like this, you find what you can do to help in any way to make life easier for a time.  As he started on the walks, another man came around the corner with a shovel in his hand. Most likely no words were spoken, but they just worked there together, bearing the load of the snow and the grief.  As they worked, another man came down the lane, carrying a shovel and joined in. The news had spread like wildfire, and they needed a way to show their compassion.........but you'll get that in a small town.

Cattle Rustlers

     I take delight in the simple joys of small town living, especially the old-fashioned values and habits that still are a part of everyday life in a rural area.  I learned this week that even crime is still old fashioned in our area!  I heard a news report this morning that there were a couple of cattle rustlers caught this week.  Yes, this image is what popped into my mind:

    However, I doubt that is what the guys looked like.  They just took advantage of some unsuspecting cows.  Now, you have to understand that cows are pretty dumb animals.  They don't bark or sound an alarm if a stranger comes along.  They don't have the sheep instinct and only follow the shepherd.  If a person comes along and waves at them to move, they move.  And cows are pretty easy to care for. Just give them some room to roam and a field to graze in and they are pretty happy. Take some feed out to them in the winter time and you can leave them alone. 
     I imagine that these two cattle rustlers knew all about that and they hatched a scheme to go to some vast expanse of ranch land and take a few cows away.  It was reported that they took them immediately to the cattle auction where they sold them on the spot and took off with the profit!
     I have been to the cattle auction  a few times in my life.  It looks somewhat like a small amphitheater with steps/seats slanting up three sides of the room. There is a very strong odor of cigarette smoke, leather and of course, cow manure.  In the front of the seating area is a flat floor surrounded by cattle fence and off to one side, an elevated spot where the auctioneer can stand. A door opens and several very scared looking cattle charge in. The floor is a giant scale, so you look up on the wall and there is a "score board" stating the weight of the lot and average weight of each cow.  The auctioneer will name the rancher who is selling them and the type of cows that they are. He will then proceed to auction them off.  I learned quickly to sit very still and not to make a move or I might be the owner of thousands of pounds of hamburger.  These rustlers had to know what they were doing.  Each seller receives a check for the cattle that they sell that day. 
     Cattle rustlers are the reason that cowboys at one time branded their cattle.  They would brand them with the symbol of their ranch to prevent this kind of crime.  The ranch symbol was burned into the flesh of the animal making a permanent mark declaring who the owner was.  Then if the thief attempted to sell it, the buyer could beware of who they were really buying from!  Maybe the cattle ranchers in our area should consider going back to branding their cattle again!
     The news report mentioned that the rustlers were caught.  No doubt the sheriff rounded up his posse, hunted the culprits down and threw them in the hoosegow..............but you'll get that in a small town!
 

Redneck Grammar

     I saw this in our local want ad paper that comes out once a week. It is a collection of for sale and want ads that appeal mostly to the male population. My husband picks it up at the local parts store every week.  He loves searching through it for some bargain he thinks he could fix up and make it worth a whole lot more than he paid for it. It is humorous to peruse and see all the ads for guns, pickups and hunting dogs.
     Below is an ad that caught my eye. It is from a local specialty gun shop.  Can you spot the two mistakes?

      
     Now, if I would have mentioned the title of this post in our area ("Redneck Grammar"), someone may have thought I was referring to his granny who lives out in the sticks and rarely comes to town. But, no, I'm talking about good old fashioned spelling and pronunciation...and you don't always get that in a small town!