You Know You Are in the Country

By Heather Echola

@GardenGerty (160488)

United States

September 7, 2016 7:26pm CST

You know you are in the country and at a rural school, when little girls wear cowboy boots with their tutus and fancy skirts. Or with their shorts. Boys wear their cowboy boots with basketball shorts. Or boys have a key ring hanging off their belt loop, and play games about their tractors. You know you are in the country when you can be entertained by a flock of sparrows riding up and down in the wind on the branch of a rosebush, and there is a cow pasture next to the Pizza Hut. You know you are in the country when out in the back yard there are goats playing "King of the mountain on the sheds, and there are guard llamas to protect them from coyotes. You are in the country when you pass a woman gathering limestone rocks from the side of the road in five gallon buckets, to landscape her yard or a guy is pulled over gathering armloads of wild sunflowers, or a photographer is shooting pictures of sunsets and moon rises. You know you are in the country when it is an hour to drive to Wal Mart, or Sears, Penneys, or any name brand store you know of. You quit making impulse trips to the store. You know where to buy the cheapest gas. We live pretty rural.

20 people like this

18 responses

@JudyEv (338661)

• Rockingham, Australia

8 Sep 16

Isn't it great though?

3 people like this

@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

8 Sep 16

Loving it. It is relaxing, except when the cat refuses to come in at night.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (338661)

• Rockingham, Australia

8 Sep 16

@GardenGerty That would be a worry if there are coyotes around.

1 person likes this

@andriaperry (116936)

• Anniston, Alabama

8 Sep 16

@JudyEv We have coyotes and all my animals are outside.

1 person likes this

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Vicki, #1 Creek Girl

@1creekgirl (41330)

• United States

8 Sep 16

I love living in the country. Our Walmart is only 10 miles away, but we recently got a Dollar General about 2 miles from here. Love your post!

3 people like this

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@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

11 Sep 16

@1creekgirl That may be true. I saw a news article that talked about how many Dollar General stores and other Dollar stores there are. Way more than Wal Mart or anyone else.

1 person likes this

@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

8 Sep 16

Thanks. There is a Dollar General about eleven miles away.

2 people like this

Vicki, #1 Creek Girl

@1creekgirl (41330)

• United States

8 Sep 16

@GardenGerty I think no one in the US is more than 10 miles from a Dollar General!

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@celticeagle (165954)

• Boise, Idaho

8 Sep 16

I live in a capitol city but could be in rural area in less than an hour.

2 people like this

@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

11 Sep 16

In some states that is the truth. You can leave the big city and be rural immediately.

@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

11 Sep 16

My response vanished or something. It may show up again. I think in our state it is very easy to get out of town quickly.

1 person likes this

@celticeagle (165954)

• Boise, Idaho

12 Sep 16

@GardenGerty ......Doesn't take long here.

@Juliaacv (50857)

• Canada

8 Sep 16

I know what you mean, we live like this also. And there's no beating it.

2 people like this

@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

11 Sep 16

Pretty quiet and peaceful and fun.You do not have neighbors right out your windows.

1 person likes this

@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

11 Sep 16

Peaceful and quiet. Nice to have space to breathe.

1 person likes this

@AbbyGreenhill (45494)

• United States

8 Sep 16

We live in the boonies in a remote farming community - sears and pennys is more like a two hour ride.No one here owns lamas, just cows and horses. And our little town finally got a McDonalds last winter not that we go there. Never saw a girl in a fancy skirt, just cut-off jeans and lots of make-up.

2 people like this

@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

11 Sep 16

Seven to nine year old girls still like to wear "pretty" clothes, and mostly no make up at that age. Thankfully. Lots of dangly earrings though.

@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

11 Sep 16

The big girls possibly dress that way. The little girls still like frilly and fancy things. I am around mostly 7-12 year olds right now. I do see earrings and jewelry at that age but have not noticed any makeup.

@Cjairah04 (56)

• Angeles City, Philippines

8 Sep 16

I know when I'm in the country when I encounter heavy traffic.EDSA PROBLEM!

2 people like this

@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

11 Sep 16

You have heavy traffic in the country?

1 person likes this

@Cjairah04 (56)

• Angeles City, Philippines

12 Sep 16

@GardenGerty yhup! Infact, traffic here will make someone angry and it causes argues.

@louievill (28851)

• Philippines

8 Sep 16

Looks like a nice place to live in, I'm thinking of migrating. I once had a very long vacation on a very isolated barrio and life seemed so simple and I loved it.although it has some advantages and disadvantages.

2 people like this

@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

11 Sep 16

That is probably true of any place. I hope you find the type of life you enjoy.

1 person likes this

@Letranknight2015 (51914)

• Philippines

8 Sep 16

Where I am my province isn't rural anymore, so many houses out there and malls too. It's the same anymore, lucky for you folks there.

2 people like this

@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

11 Sep 16

I do feel fortunate. I am not really fond of extra shopping for no reason.

@jaboUK (64354)

• United Kingdom

8 Sep 16

Are you enjoying it there?

2 people like this

@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

11 Sep 16

I am. No congested traffic, very little if any crime. More value to the days, I think.

1 person likes this

@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

11 Sep 16

I certainly am. I do like having a job, but still have my privacy and space.

1 person likes this

@Jessicalynnt (50523)

• Centralia, Missouri

9 Sep 16

or it takes a year for the latest trends to appear in the stores

1 person likes this

@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

11 Sep 16

I never see the latest trends. I think that is just me though.

1 person likes this

@Jessicalynnt (50523)

• Centralia, Missouri

13 Sep 16

@GardenGerty of course would you even know if they were, I am not sure i would

@sueznewz2 (10409)

• Alicante, Spain

9 Sep 16

I can just picture all those things on your country list .... lol ... sounds great...

1 person likes this

@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

11 Sep 16

It is fun. My favorite little girl got some new boots last week, too.

1 person likes this

@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

11 Sep 16

I live closer to a lake than to a store, that is neat. We need to go there more. It is great.

1 person likes this

@ria1606roy (2797)

• Kolkata, India

8 Sep 16

Sounds peaceful, refreshing and enjoyable. I would love to live in such a country place in the future.

1 person likes this

@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

11 Sep 16

Some people only want to visit. It is a good place to live.

1 person likes this

@ria1606roy (2797)

• Kolkata, India

12 Sep 16

@GardenGerty true

@Lucky15 (37374)

• Philippines

8 Sep 16

Simple sights that made me love living the countryside ;)

1 person likes this

@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

11 Sep 16

That is true. And I can actually hear myself think.

@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

11 Sep 16

It is fun ,and quiet and peaceful.

1 person likes this

@thelme55 (76843)

• Germany

8 Sep 16

My hubby and I have lived in the countryside of Ireland and sheeps were commonly vacating the streets. I loved that time in my life. Very relaxing in the off the beaten track surrounded by beautiul landscapes.

2 people like this

@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

11 Sep 16

It sounds like you have had some wonderful experiences.It must have been great to have done so much traveling.

1 person likes this

@thelme55 (76843)

• Germany

12 Sep 16

@GardenGerty yes, it was great. It was indeed an awesome experience.

beaniefanatic13

@beaniefanatic13 (5076)

• Grand Junction, Colorado

8 Sep 16

We moved to Colorado a couple of years ago from a large city in CA. We live on the out skirts of town in the farming area, I wish we were more rural than what we are, but it is nice living in a much smaller town that what we were used too. While it doesn't take an hour to drive to town (20 minutes) we don't have a Costco, Macy's or even a Toys'R Us our mall is pretty small from what we are used too, which my teenage daughter dislikes, but it is a much slower paced life from what we had before. I do take pictures of the sunsets here as they are so beautiful in the desert and I live in boots, gone are the days of bare feet living on our 3 acres, you never know what you will step on out here. Even though the store isn't all that far away, I don't make impulse trips, I plan out going to town to get all that we need for the week.

@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

11 Sep 16

I think there is only one or two Costco in our state. I am not sure about Macy's. I am barefoot more here than I was in the larger city.

1 person likes this

@marsha32 (6631)

• United States

11 Sep 16

It has it's pluses I'm sure. I would not like not living close to the stores...shoot, I think it's too far to drive to Walmart here from my house LOL

1 person likes this

@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

12 Sep 16

I know I always hear you talk about how far it is across town.

@Hatley (163776)

• Garden Grove, California

8 Sep 16

but I bet you love it as its away from big city traffic and crime living there is healthier too

1 person likes this

@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

8 Sep 16

I thought where I moved from was "small town" but it was beginning to have crime.

1 person likes this

@AutumnSnow (4583)

•

8 Sep 16

I miss living in the country I hope we get back there some day.

1 person likes this

@GardenGerty (160488)

• United States

11 Sep 16

It is a different way of life.

1 person likes this