Country Girl

I think the saying goes, "You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl." Driving into Utah County past Santaquin, where my mom grew up, and into Payson, my dad's home town and where my mom lives now, still feels like coming home to me. I haven't lived in Utah County for over 20 years, but a part of my heart still hangs out here. I love to sit on my mom's back patio and look out over the fields at the cows and the horses and the empty spaces and the mountains in the distance and just let my soul drink it all in. This is where I come from and I am glad.

When I was a little girl, our closest neighbors were dairy farmers. I spent a lot of my free time running down the hill that separated our houses and hanging out in their barn, jumping off of their hay stacks or in the calf pen with the new baby calves.
Cows and cats have always been my favorite animals. I have to say that I am partial to black and white Holsteins, but these tan cows that were living in the field behind my mom's house came in a close second. It was more than I could do to stay away and so I took a walk out to visit. They seemed to be as interested in me as I was in them. After they had all gathered around I started walking down the fence line and they all followed along behind me. One of my mom's neighbors said she counted and I had a parade of 24 cows taking my walk along with me. It was almost like old times and lots of fun.

Today I am thankful

to be in Utah with my family.
for the view from my mom's backyard.
for Cows, of course.