B, BA, BOM Day Eight

Today, I am very grateful for living in the middle of nowhere, Green Acres Style.

When I was growing up, Elverta, CA seemed to be in the boonies big time. Going to the county park, Gibson Ranch was an all day adventure. There were no houses and a lone gas station past a certain point. It was the stretch of road all the driving instructors took their first time students to get the feel of the car going faster than 25mph. Hilly, country roads that suddenly (well, there are signs, but as a new driver, who read 'em) turn right and then immediately left. As you traveled down that road, you eventually came upon the gas station, market and feed store. And then you drove for miles until you came upon the Interstate.

When we moved to Elverta CA in the early 1990's, it still seemed to be out in the middle of nowhere even though houses now lined the old country road. I live on a road that is about a mile and three-quarters long and has a total of eight houses. My closest neighbor is a quarter of a mile either way. I love it. It is quiet. There are quail, doves, red-tail hawks, crawdads, the occasional wayward salmon, robins, owls, gophers, mice, and trains, in addition to our horses, cats, dogs, and rooster. And the occassional airplane.

I am grateful for being able to sleep with the windows open and not have to worry about a "human" invader; to run outside in my undies to get something I forgot in the car; to play the stereo system at concert volume levels and only have the dogs care; or just to sit and listen to the "nothing".