This weekend the husband and I drove out of the Twin Cities, and across the border to a small town in Wisconsin to visit my parents. A weekend away after a busy month of May sounded good. The suitcase was packed one more time.
Instead of seeing the flat lands heading to Des Moines, Iowa like last weekend, were headed toward one of my favorite drives into Wisconsin. I think it’s the hills, trees, and different farms that make it more interesting. Farms and houses are sprinkled between country roads with horses, cows, and goats. Dairy farms sit next to fields of corn or soy beans. It doesn’t feel like your a flat earther the car climbs up and over the hills. Flat earth would be boring.
My body relaxed as I wound around the familiar country roads. My eyes perked with curiosity as I spotted a few new houses. Fewer empty land lots as more of us try to escape city life. Could I see myself out in the country all year round? Well, I could do without the bumper to bumper traffic, summer construction, and busier everything with school out. But winters might feel too long and a trip to the local coffee shop might not exist.
Despite being a homebody, I still need some human interaction. I also don’t want to drive for an hour to get to my favorite restaurant or book store. Book stores with coffee are a plus. So, I still need city life with weekend getaways.
Don’t worry, there was some excitement in the country. We went to the local creamery in the next town over. They had cheese wedge stress balls, chocolate cow pies, cow pattern everything and of course, fresh cheese curds. You gotta have cheese curds in Wisconsin.
Our late night table was filled with treats and cards as we gathered around the table. The limit was about 3 rounds of cards. The joke was that the losers have to go sleep in the barn. I guess I felt sorry for my husband because he snored away next to me.
Did I mention the milk trucks? My husband is an early riser and he heard milk trucks go past at 7:00 in the morning. I was dead to the world and dreaming. The only drawback was that my parents live on a busier county road.
Traffic picked up as soon as school let out and more people exit the city for a road trip of their own. Sometimes, there are tractors moving past on the side of the road to go plow or harvest their fields. So, it’s not completely quiet.
Before the car noise picked up this morning, I stood on the front deck and closed my eyes in the sun for a quick pause. No one was there to witness or comment on the moment. I can’t even see their neighbors with all the trees and hills around them.
Walking around their yard, I think I found a perfect reading nook in a front yard tree. One long branch stretches out close to the ground and waits for a country cat to come sit in the shade. A lazy day in the shade surrounded by the sound of nature sounded good. Then, a car engines killed the moment. Someone sounded like they needed a trip to their local mechanic.
Before I baked away in the sun, I retreated back into the cool house. The sound buffer between me and the cars on the country road was back.
What did the afternoon look like? Well, I think the husband was napping across form me as I typed this post. Let the light to heavy snores begin. The best part is when the sounds gets so loud that he suddenly wakes himself up. I think it’s the look of confusion on his face at that moment that gets me.
Ever lay wide awake next to someone going hard on their snores and want to give them a shove? I tell myself that it’s not very nice to do but it’s tempting.
Well, I should get going before I get carried away with invasive thoughts. Until next time, keep writing!
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Yoon Ju
Writer's Block Inc 