We're Home

Finally. It was wonderful seeing and being with family but....a week away from the wonder of this northcoast place feels much longer. The crowds, the people, the traffic congestion in the south were all things we had forgotten somehow. I thought it would be fun to do all of our limited Christmas shopping the day before Christmas and frankly we hadn't had time or emotional energy before, but geez, people are pretty aggressive these days over totally unimportant things. Including moi.;) Somehow, I found my angst rising as well. But now, home. HOME! Home.

Upon entering our neighboring county to the south, my heart sighed and I felt the tension in my shoulders recede and I smiled at the scenery passing by. The skies were full of clouds and a misty rain fell on all the green and we both felt quietly happy. We stopped at a store and the people, might I add, quirky and diverse people, looked me in the eye and gave a warm greeting. I felt comfortable and warmly hugged by this place and its people.

Here at the ranch, Brian had left a 'welcome home' on our white board. And we found him busy cleaning out our shop as we drove in. (Mark and Eric had left quite a mess). He had fed our cows when the snow covered their grass while we were gone, and even built a fire in our fireplace to warm our return! What a guy! All the horses must have gotten the memo that the hay lady was coming as all 7 were at the barn. Flower, the goat, and the dogs ran up to greet me, their bodies dancing in delight and with mingled voices singing. What joy! We also were greeted by dozens and dozens of wayfaring starlings and robins. With the birds busily feeding on the berries in our yard and flying from tree to prairie and the green grass growing it looked like spring and it felt like spring in our hearts. (THAT sentance will get you NO points in English 1A) I might also add that our rain gauge stood like an implacable Buckingham Palace Guard; ceremonial, decorative even, but in our weather, without someone checking and emptying it, totally without purpose. The steady, soft rain was over-flowing slowly, streaming down the rain guage's sides. A five inch rain gauge doesn't measure for very long up here.

We remember too, Jerry, our dear departed friend, who told us that he always felt a weight lift and the skys clear when he drove through our front gates. Amen to that, Jerry!