honestly, although Ben is a great
teacher, it’s still intimidating to
work on such a large vehicle.
I always longed to grow my
own vegetable garden like the one
I used to raid at Grandma’s, but I
didn’t know how. I have gotten
guidance from Ben and my in-laws
on how to plant seeds and fertilize,
and on how much to water and
when to stop watering—but there’s
also been a lot of Googling and trial
and error. I’m still always learning
how to garden and how to can.
When it comes to flowers, I seem
to have a black thumb (which I do
intend to fix), but I’m in a constant
state of euphoria when I roll up my
sleeves and dig in the earth, care
for little chickens with my dog pals
by my side, cook fresh-pickedvegetables, walk along country
lanes, ride four-wheelers all over
the mountain or sit by a campfire.
Our house sits squarely in the
middle of rolling hay fields that
are surrounded by trees, secluding
the fields from the outside world
in their own little paradise. In our
yard, Ben hung a swing from the
shade-giving branches of a black
walnut tree because of the swing
I cherished at my grandparents’
place as a child.
Here, the elk meander in and
out, sometimes only a few feet
from our house. Bright daffodils
and orchards give us a grand floral
show each spring. I love the slight
elevation that can blanket us in
snow in the winter, when the
townsfolk usually only get rain.“ The country grew roots in me deeper than
the great depths of the ocean.” – TAWNY NELSON
Elk often graze
a few feet from
Tawny’s home.Michael and his
buddy, Elsa, peek
into the barn to spy
on the chickens.26 COUNTRY-MAGAZINE.COM FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018