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, in the Tremonton area, 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...I love the peacefulness and quiet of the country, I love the sights and smells of the farm. Yes, you get used to the smell of horses, cows, and dairy farms! Lol. I love the smells 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 can still close my eyes and remember the smell of my Grandma's kitchen when she was cooking a roast or a pot of chili. I remember playing in the snow or mud, running in the fields, playing on hay bales, playing in the leaves, and chasing snakes and bugs all around the yard with my cousins. 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 remember fun, I remember love, and I remember lots of laughter...
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. 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." I would love, just one more time, to sit in that house that built me... Thank you so much for reading, friends. I do hope you enjoyed taking a journey back in time with me...Until next time...
~Trin
