Centuries Ago, A Stupendous Saturday

Now that my first quarter of college is complete, I have time to blog! …and do a million other things that I just haven’t had time for. For example, in the past 72 hours, I’ve learned how to make a yummy dessert, started reading Catch-22 (which has been on my list for ages), have actually made my bed, cleaned up my room and focused on MY own piano life, rather than those piano lives of my 7 peanuts (and large walnut – sounds offensive, but she’s older than me!)    (;

Let me continue from where I left off –

On Saturday in Arkansas, we slept in (er, Cody did – I was up at 7 and watching CSI with Momma =]). I can only take so much mystery so early in the morning, so I got my hoodie (it was that kind of chilly morning, where you can just feel autumn starting to take over), slipped my flippy floppys on (mistake? there was heavy dew – not quite used to it in Chicago) and walked outside to just take in all the green. I had remembered that last time I visited (in July), Cod and I took their 4-wheeler and drove full speed on the pasture  around his home (I love saying that.. straight outta a country song: “pasture around his home..”) I realized, however, that there were plastic bags tied around the fence. Thank goodness Cody told me about that when I was there in July because being a city girl like myself, I assumed that the plastic bag had flown out of some litterbug’s hand and gotten stuck on their fence. I… was very wrong. Turns out the plastic bag serves as a warning that the fence has an electric current running through it, thus shocking whoevers feels the need to trespass (read “Third Times the Charm” at the bottom of this post for a related story). Point is – I couldn’t find the entrance to the pasture and was beginning to wonder why a pasture should exist if one can’t even walk on it. My reflective mood morphed into a confused one, and a confused prettynerd isn’t a happynerd.  Obviously.

I heard “Marco!” from afar. I had to smile, and answered “Polo!” Cody found me and asked what I was up to. I expressed my sadness at not being able to run around the pasture to let free the suppressed country girl held inside my silly yankee body. He smiled and led me to this entrance (a huge thing that keeps the horses in?) and swung it open — I didn’t know I could have opened it! In the movies, only the cowboys do it! I, clearly, am not a cowboy. I was stunned, but very happy that I could now visit the green waiting for me.

It was gorgeous. Huge trees surround the property.. green, freshly mowed (and there is A LOT to mow), and morning dew on my feet. Their two horses were grazing; it was just a picture perfect moment.  The horses must have seen us and assumed we had food, because they started walk on over to us. We pet them for a while and then started walking back towards the house. As we were walking, the horses started following very close behind and, “Momma,” I believe her name is, started nudging her nose into Cody’s back. I say this while shaking my head.. those horses are not horses. Cody said it best: “What do you think y’all are? Yard dogs?” I’ve got to say, it’s the first time I felt I had bonded with a horse. She was nudging her nose into my hand! It was adorable! And yes, very dog like. Anywho.

We walked home hand in hand and had a nice breakfast and headed off to a purty lake – Lake Catherine. We took the boat with the tube and went tubing — I did get knocked off, but it took Cod’s dad quite a while – I wouldn’t go down without a fight! It’s fun shaking your fist, challening the guy on the boat. I wouldn’t suggest doing it often though – you might not handle the next gigantor waves they throw at you.

Dinner on Saturday was fantastic. I got to meet a lot of Cody’s cousins and yes, we played Uno again. See? The north and south aren’t that different after all. We just all need to play Uno as an ice breaker every now and then. If only it had existed before the Civil War broke out, huh? =)

**Third Times a Charm

Cody’s mom told me a story that included this evil, electric fence. Cody’s dad was sitting on porch looking onto the pasture and saw a baby deer. This deer tried passing through the pasture (smart deer, I think; s/he must have heard from somewhere that nothing good can come from playing on pavement). Poor guy got shocked once (stupid, I guess, who wouldn’t know that the plastic bags mean stay away!?), jumped back, walked forward again, got shocked again, and finally – after getting teased a third time (I feel so bad for just having exploited a deer for the entertainment of those reading my blog, but hey), the deer moved around and moved on.

Probably the best time of the weekend was Sunday, and that’ll be posted another day =).