It has been a nice weekend here and one that has allowed me to start feeling a little bit more a part of the community here. I was reminded a couple of times over the course of the last 24 hours that the world is indeed a very small place and that the older we get, the closer that "smallness" appears to be. Yesterday I met an acquaintance of Mike's who asked me where I was from. I told him that I was from south central Kansas and with a smile on his face he told me that he was from Kansas as well. In fact, he said that he was raised in a city called "Hutchinson". What a surprise to "out of the blue" run into someone who had a connection to my home in Kansas. He told me that he'd lived on Town Street and went to Grandview School and then on to Hutchinson High School. Although he has been gone from there for some time now, he still remembers it with fondness and his brief encounter with me helped me feel like Kansas wasn't really so far away after all. At lunchtime yesterday, we met friends in Grand Junction and when we began to talk about our families, we realized that we both had connections to the south western Oklahoma city called Altus. With all of the cities in Oklahoma to have to choose from, to find a common "link" with Altus is pretty amazing. I'm sure as times goes on I'll find more and more people here who will understand where I am from. It makes me feel good and less apt to become lonely for home in the months to come. Without a doubt, I'm sure that "homesick" feeling will surface but I'll just work through it.
Things are very different here in Colorado and I've been asked more times that I can count if I have a claustrophobic feeling with the mountains completely surrounding me. I can't say that I feel "closed in" as of yet, but there are times that I certainly do miss the inability to see "forever and ever". The majesty of the mountains more than makes up for it and although I will never forget where I came from in Kansas, I am starting to be "ok" with living here in just a few short weeks to come.
One of the great views we have from Mike's house, besides the San Juan Mountains to the south, are the beautiful farm fields of alfalfa that are starting to green up all around us. The farmers here in this part of the state grow mostly alfalfa, feeder corn, and pinto beans. Very little wheat is grown here and for this Kansas farmer's daughter, that is going to seem a little bit on the strange side. Since Mike's landlord is a farmer, we see lots of farm equipment in and out of the driveway each day. It puts me in mind of my own father and the memory of his life as a custom cutter throughout the Great Plains states. My dad would be happy to see the Massey Ferguson tractor sitting alongside the fence. Depending upon available moisture, the field shown below will yield at least 2, perhaps even 3 cuttings this season. Colorado farmers share the same concerns about the drought as farmers in Kansas do.
This afternoon Mike and I had a chance to work out in the yard a bit. He loves to grow things and enjoys gardening as much as I do. In late February, I ordered a bunch of flower seeds to plant this spring in Colorado. Today was the day that we decided a put a few of them into the ground here in Montrose. I have always been partial to zinnias and was glad to plant several different varieties, especially my favourite one-the Oklahoma Zinnia. I also wanted to plant a bit of "KANSAS" here and it was with a lot of pride in my heart that I made my first row of "Skyscraper" sunflower seeds. Come later on this summer, there should be a row of them, towering to well over 10 feet tall. They will serve to remind me of where I may no longer be living but where I will always have come from.
Had a lot of fun today, writing my "name" in the soil here along the western slopes of Montrose, Colorado. The soil is so different here, lots of clay and sand but I'm going to give it my best to try and make stuff grow.
Well, day is nearly done and my time here is about to come to an end. In the morning, very early, I'll make the journey back to Kansas hoping to dodge snow and blizzards going over Monarch Pass and severe weather as I re-enter "Tornado Alley" just as soon as I cross over the Kansas border near the western Kansas town of Syracuse. With luck, I'll make it back to Hutchinson by early evening.
It will be 6 weeks more before I return to Montrose again, such a strange feeling after having been here each month since January. When I say I could almost drive here with my eyes closed, well I think I almost CAN. I've learned a lot about getting myself here safely and am getting better every time. But I cannot tell you how happy I will be when I finally no longer have to make the journey to "visit". I'll be grateful for the day to come that I actually live here. So thankful for the safe passage that I have encountered thus far. It's amazing when you think about the miles travelled~a lot of time to think and meditate and ponder about life. And friends, my "life" has been abundantly blessed. When I return here in late May, I will be someone's wife and I cannot imagine wanting anything more than that. Thank you to all of you who have extended your well wishes to both Mike and I. We appreciate your friendship and the way in which you support our decision. Good friends~what would we do without you? Have a good night all and those of you back home in Kansas, take care in the weather. I'm pulling for you all, even here 611 miles away. We're all in this together~
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