Weekend at the farm

Took the kids to the burgeoning metropolis of Winters, TX this weekend to give the better half some quiet time to work on her paper for her last class towards the master's degree.

For those that don't know, Winters is about 40 miles south of Abilene, between Abilene and Sweetwater. Has a population of about 2,000 and was the birthplace of Rogers Hornsby.
Winters

My grandparents were both born there and they had a small farm and home on the outside of town where my mom grew up. Now the house is my mom's and she and my dad go up there every couple of months to take care of it and just get away from the city for awhile. Even though my mom and dad both grew up on or near a farm, living 40+ years in houston has pretty much taken the rural out of them, so to see them there is somewhat an awkward fit.

In college both my grandparents were still alive and I looked forward to the weekends when I was free to go down and hang out do some laundry or just sleep. I always knew there would be something good to eat and I would go back to the dorm not needing dinner that night.

When I go out it is somewhat bittersweet. The house and fields still look somewhat the same, but you can tell the house is not lived in full time and with that it brings the memories of what used to be and no longer is.

With children I get to see it through their eyes and right now they are filled with wonderment. The simplest things, like and old horseshoe found in the field that becomes Molly's "mystery" or a rusty old tractor the Jack climbs and starts to "drive", keep them entertained and me enthralled. I know that over time they will lose this wonderment and the old farm, with its dusty rooms, broken sink, and isolation from electronics will be a punishment more than a joy, but for now I will enjoy the farm again through their eyes.

It was a fun trip, but the kids were ready to come home to Momma and both wanted to stay as close as they could last night at bedtime. The farm might be fun for a day...but with Momma and at home is where they would rather be.