Farm Life

So, after 5 long years in Colorado, we are finally back in Arkansas. Ya know, after all the time looking forward to moving I still feel like I am in a foreign land. Don't get me wrong it sure is nice to be closer to my family and getting back to my roots so to speak, but I am still adjusting to this whole farm thing.

A little background info is probably in order. So I met my husband Josh at the University of Arkansas. He was really fun and charming and as an added bonus was also very smart. He is from this itty bitty town called Ben Lomond, AR. Now, Ben Lomond is about 10 minutes outside of Ashdown, AR and about 30 minutes north of Texarkana. Population in Ben Lomond - 126! Not a typo - one hundred and twenty six! So, I knew when I met and fell in love with Josh that living in this little place was a possibility. You see, my husband has this strange obsession with cows! He bought his first cow when he was 12 years old and his "herd" has grown to a total of 220 head to date. I also knew this when we got married. So Josh's plan has been that he wants to be a farmer, but being the smart one that he is realized that farming is a tough way to support a family. So, he has spent the last 5 years pursuing a masters and Phd in reproductive physiology in Colorado. This way, Josh is qualified to do all kinds of reproductive services (in cattle) that will supposedly rake in the dough - or he can go teach at the college level. So, after all that schoolin' Josh is now the most educated farmer in history. But you know what - he loves it! He is the most happy running after those cows than he has ever been and that makes me happy!

For those of you that know me well, know that I am somewhat of a girly girl. I like things clean, I like to be clean, and I don't venture out much without at least a little makeup applied. Well, farm life sure has changed me. I now own my own pair of Carhart overalls, steel towed boots, and leather gloves. I know how to herd cattle, feed cattle, drive a mule (a large scale four wheeler type thing), build fence, been to a number of cow sales, feedlots, etc. Yep, I am a genuine farm girl!

We are renting a small house in Ben Lomond until we figure out how the whole farm thing is going to go financially. There aren't many living choices available in Ben Lomond, so when this house became available for rent, we jumped on it without really looking at it (we lived in CO at the time). Well, the nicest thing I can say about it is that the roaches are friendly and the mice inhabiting it were all dead upon discovery - thank God for Terminix!!! But, after the roaches were exterminated and the place cleaned up a bit, it is not so bad after all. The other day however, I walked out to the back yard and there was a half eaten dead chicken lying on the ground! It had no head - only its feet were left - GROSS!!

All that to say that it is definitely a different world down here, but I am slowly adjusting. I love having Josh’s parents close by and being able to be within driving distance to my parents is really fun! I am just going to have to be a bit tougher when it comes to bugs and random other grossness – I’m sure there will be more interesting stories to come!