The Houses and Towns That Built Me-part 2

 I grew up in a small town, but I spent most of my weekends in the country.  Both of my parents grew up on farm/ranch operations northwest of Brigham City, so I have some very strong country ties.  I spent a good part, if not all, of my weekends at one grandparents' place or the other.  I spent the majority, however, at my Grandma & Grandpa Berchtold's (my Dad's parents), and I think that this is the place that "built" me and influenced who I am the most.



Looking back towards Brigham
from our land



I love the peacefulness and quiet of the country; the sights and smells (you get used to the smell of dairy farms, lol) of Russian Olive trees and sagebrush, and fresh-cut hay; the sounds of crickets, birds, and the gentle breeze in the leaves of the trees; the wide open spaces that take you back to a simpler time.  There's just something about the different seasons in the country too; my grandpa's rose and peony bushes, and the smell of wet sagebrush in the spring; sitting under the giant Poplar and Box Elder trees while sipping a cold drink in the summer; the change of color in the leaves, and playing in the huge corn fields in the fall; and then those vast spaces with the mountains in the distance, all covered in snow in the winter.  This may sound cliche, but there's really nothing like a good old fashioned Thanksgiving and Christmas on the farm.

I had my first taste of coffee at my Grandma B's house, and to this day, I can't find coffee that tastes quite as good as hers; maybe it was the water out there, or maybe it was just her special touch...

I always took that I had such a great place to escape to for granted; I thought that everybody's grandparents lived on a farm when I was growing up. When I was older, however, I realized just how lucky I was... We still own the majority of the land, but the house and some of the surrounding acres have been sold.  I envy just a bit those people who live there now, and I hope they appreciate how lucky they are.  That house that they live in has such a history, and so many amazing and wonderful memories.



Looking at Sulphur Creek and
Little Mountain from
our land



I still go out to the pastureland quite often.  It's a great place to unwind and relax; all my troubles and worries seem so much smaller when I'm there.  It's still so peaceful, the sights, sounds, and smells are all still the same.  Everything seems untouched by the passing of time, and still takes me back to a simpler one... There is another cliche that rings very true with me, "You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl."

Until next time, thank you so much for stopping by. Stay tuned...