Wednesday, May 30, 2012

backroads and peace of mind

 Granted, many of the ones I fell in love with as a child are now paved, these hidden spots always carry me back to a place in time where there was nothing wrong with the world and my biggest concern was if I would stub my toe on the gravel as I ran as fast as I could from the incline at the top of the barn down and around the curved bend towards the house.  It was the best feeling in the universe. Today, my cousins and I have chose to walk that road rather than run, but the feeling is all the same.  The creek waters rushing up ahead, the gravel underfoot, and the smell of...well...a barn!
 This trip offered me one thing that the past two had not.  For the first time in over ten years I got to go into the old homeplace.  The farm hands that live there allowed us entrance and for one small moment I got to glance out the window I used to prop myself into as a child...
 ...it was the one place I could watch the cattle come in each evening for milking, the one place where ANY traffic (very rare) would enter through for a visit, and the only spot you could comfortably watch grandpa's old red Ford travel up to the mailbox to collect the day's letters.
 The kids returned to the creek.  We had a 90+ degree day and the dry winter did very little for the creek beds this year, but water all the same...the kids were knee deep without care for snapping turtles nor water moccasins.
 With treasures to be found everywhere...
 ...and someone was made to wear the same shorts he "jacked up" last year...
 ...thank goodness!
 Traveling by 4 wheeler was definitely a lot breezier than walking.
 For those who have never taken advantage of the backroads, there is no explanation for the tranquility that lies in an old barn, where time has stayed behind...
 ...and the sights any city dweller might gawk at...
 ...but I would choose a backroad any day as long as it carries me back to where my heart is and those that sparked my passion...
 ...to carry on tradition each and every year.
I'm so thankful that we celebrated another glorious day together.  There is nothing that is better than another day on the farm.

2 comments:

Mrs. Weddle said...

all this backroads talk ... and that jason aldean song is now stuck in my head, although he calls them dirt roads. love all your pictures :)

Pam said...

i always love seeing your pictures from this trip. i WANT a place like this! what a treasure for your kids to get to return every year, such a wonderful tradition!!!

and now you are out of school, so i want to see these scrapped pronto;)