Country Gal by Vanita Blundell August 18, 2009

This summer has turned out to be the summer of visitors- Each May when school is out I always wonder what the summer will bring to our family and how it will change our life. When we built our home, I wanted extra space for family and friends so they could be comfortable in our home without feeling as if they were intruding in our lives. So we have six bedrooms and three bathrooms and since Jim and I are, alone you would think that we would only use part of our house. But I seem to be able to make a mess in all of the rooms- But having as much space as we do we have had the opportunity to enjoyed many people this summer. There was a time when I ran out of space for a couple of cousins so they had to get a motel room. We have had no less than twenty-four different people and two dogs stay with us. Six of the twenty-four came back to spend a weekend or a couple of days. Our company was very diverse in religion, politics, and all kinds of different jobs-. So I have learned about various lifestyles.
This week we have the opportunity to have Jim’s sister, Verna, and her husband, Weylin, here to stay for a few days. They live in Gautier, Mississippi so we do not get to see them often. I know Jim likes to have time with his sister as they have not had the chance to visit in the past few years.
When I was growing up the summer was so much fun. I had no cares in the world. Dad let me watch the sheep and try to keep them in the correct field that he wanted them to stay. The sheep never wanted to settle in the spot where Dad wanted them - they wanted to go south instead of north and when Dad decided that they needed to go to south they only wanted to go north. The coyotes liked to nibble on a tender lamb so I was to be on the lookout for the ornery predator.
I did most all of the sheep watching on horse back. After checking on the sheep, I would wonder around the pastures to see what I could see. My imagination ran wild. For some reason I was worried that the Russians were going to overtake us and I needed a place to hide. I do not know what I thought I was going to do after I hid as I could never sit still in one spot for a long time- But I had my plans. I liked to ride in the evening and feel the heat of the day leave the air and feel the coolness in the bottoms of a canyon. I would ride out our pastures day after day and never got tired of the scenery. Dad never let me go on anyone else’s property, unless there was a good reason and usually he would be with me if that were the case. I have always wanted to ride out Wildcat canyon. This pasture was not a half of a mile away from our home but Dad said that we had enough fields to play in and I did not need to be riding in someone’s pasture disturbing things. He was right; maybe I will get to do that some day before I am too worn out to enjoy the beauty of the territory.
Well, the summer is starting to wind down with school starting and things getting back to “normal” now it makes we wonder what the fall holds in store for us.