Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2021 i Country Extra

PRECIOUS MOMENTS THIS PAST SPRING we weren’t able to visit our usual favorite places due to the quarantine restrictions, but we could still visit local and state parks. On a chilly, cloudy day my husband insisted that we needed a change of scenery. Though the sky was dreary and gray, we bundled up and headed to Hagerstown City Park, where a paved trail goes around a lake. As we crested the hill, I asked my husband to pause so I could admire a Canada goose posed so stoically. Her wings were fluffed out, but she did not move at all. She just kept staring intently at us. We didn’t go any closer, so as not to infringe on her territory. Suddenly I saw movement out of the corner of my…

Those words appeared in an advertisement for the Pony Express. Though I’m on the trail, they really don’t apply to me at all. I’m older than 18 by way too many decades, and the farthest I’ve galloped a horse is about 100 yards—and even that short distance gave me the willies. On top of that, I’m not an orphan and I don’t like to risk death more than once or twice a week, tops. In spite of my lack of qualifications though, my wife, Cathy, and I set out on the Utah portion of the Pony Express National Historic Trail. The service, which carried mail from April 1860 until October 1861, is an icon of the Old West. California’s statehood and the settlement of the frontier called for the speedy…

Recently I visited a farming community in Oregon and was greatly impressed by their daily life. Changing irrigation pipes at dawn and bailing crops at twilight are common chores in the life of a dedicated farmer. As the crop is harvested, the aroma of the field rises in an immense mantle, seemingly as a blessing over acres of earth. To the casual observer, these farm scenes seem magical and evoke nostalgic feelings of days gone by in this great country. Amazingly, these scenes still exist in the heartland as today’s farmers work the fields from first light to dusk. Farmers are an integral part of America—they almost seem to be part of the land itself. Winter brings some much-needed rest and relaxation, along with time to maintain machinery and equipment,…

LEGACY My grandfather was a homesteader in western Utah, so I grew up in the real West. Everything to do with horses and history was interesting to me. I was 13 in 1960 when they did the big centennial ride. I would have cut off my right hand to have been a part of it. RIDING FOR TODAY It’s not exactly a reenactment. We take a leather mail pouch or mochila filled with commemorative letters on some aspect of Pony Express history and pass it over the backs of 500 horses. One year we start in St. Joseph and ride to Sacramento, the next year vice versa. Instead of 75 to 100 miles, we ride about 8 miles each (we’re old and soft). We’re keeping the spirit of the Pony…

In the late 1940s, like so many other summertime households back in rural western Arkansas, my family had “get up early and work late” canning days. Canning was a family affair. Even kids worked hard on those busy days. My aunts and Grandma labored in the hot kitchen over the stove and pressure cookers, and my mom and I worked outside at the rock well curb, drawing up cold water for washing vegetables and rinsing jars. I thought we had the better job. Although we were dirty and sweaty from picking vegetables, the cool shade of the pecan trees felt pretty good and we moved fast. Numerous number 3 washtubs littered the square concrete pad that surrounded the well curb: one tub of Rutgers tomatoes, one of Kentucky Wonder green…

1. KING OF THE HILL From my vantage point at the Desert View Watchtower in the Grand Canyon, I watched in awe as this brave figure in red ventured out to the edge to get a true bird’s-eye view. LINDA CIRILLO Lumberton, New Jersey 2. BEACON OF SAFETY The Fisgard Lighthouse in British Columbia is the oldest one on Canada’s west coast. ANN MARIE EBERHART Gig Harbor, Washington 3. SPRING SONG This redbud’s early flowers provided the perfect place for a pretty goldfinch to perch. WANDA HUNTER Fortson, Georgia 4. RETRO ROAD TRIP Some of our favorite memories along the Molalla River involve driving our 1930 hot rod with the windows down, going with the flow of the river until we couldn’t go any farther. ELIZABETH OEDELL Beavercreek, Oregon 5.…

As I crossed my front yard this morning, I looked down toward the valley and felt so blessed to be able to see the rolling hills. This is my country view, and I cherish it spring, summer, autumn and winter. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. CANDY THOMPSON Field Editor Kingwood, West Virginia SPRING! Ah, a breath of fresh air here in Maryland. Color comes to life along with trees and flowers. This is a time that I love working busily in my little flower house. Our family had been collecting vintage windows and doors for a few years. Last fall we pieced them all together to create this sweet little beauty. This tiny space brings such peace and joy to all who visit. It’s especially heartwarming when my…

TAKE A SCENIC DRIVE through the country in southeastern Missouri and you’ll notice colorful squares popping up on barns, sheds and other outbuildings. These bright splashes of color are barn quilts, and you’ll find them all along the Perry County Barn Quilt Trail. The self-guided tour (you can pick up a map at the visitors center in Perryville) features 31 locations and actually covers Perry County and the northern parts of Cape Girardeau and Bollinger counties. “We’re in a rural community, and not all of our roads are paved, which makes the tour fun,” says Trish Erzfeld, tourism director for Perry County. “Going on the quilt barn trail is like being on a little treasure hunt.” Trish adds that the tour takes place entirely from the safety of your car,…

Joe Zielinski, a Purple Heart recipient and a Vietnam veteran, along with his wife, Marlene, showed their children the true meaning of country living. Married 47 years, my parents have built a life centered around hard work, persistence and family in rural Pennsylvania. My parents’ home in Union City is quintessential country, with two barns, a garden and trees. Mom and Dad raised four children and have several grandchildren. The family gathers for homemade food, fishing, four-wheeler rides, playing on the swingset and occasional water balloon fights. We celebrate special moments and enjoy life’s simple pleasures, such as being in the beautiful outdoors. The pond is one of the highlights of my parents’ property. It’s a little over three-quarters of an acre and has a variety of fish, including largemouth…

COME SPRING AND SUMMER, the mountains, hills, deserts, plains, prairies, forests and alpine meadows across America come alive with wildflowers that intoxicate with their hues, scents and beauty. What better way to say adieu to this past year—marked by a global pandemic that prompted lockdownsthan to reacquaint ourselves with the majesty of the great outdoors. By all measures, 2020 was challenging for everyone, and nothing is a better antidote than to be in nature with signs of new life and splashes of bright color. Wildflowers remind us that spring will be full of hope and new beginnings. As American musician Sheryl Crow says, “No matter how chaotic it is, wildflowers will still spring up in the middle of nowhere.” They bring us joy. Go experience the chaos of wildflower beauty…