Country April - May 2016

A few months ago I put on my snowshoes and took a walk around our backyard. It was one of those perfectly still winter days when the snow falls just enough to keep people with better judgment indoors. As I trekked along the east side of our place, I came upon the rhubarb patch and smiled in anticipation of spring. The rhubarb patch, just a snow-covered mound in February, comes back to life in April. Sometimes it happens so suddenly it’s as though the bright red stalks pop out of the ground overnight. My mother-in-law loves the stuff. She’ll do what I call a rhubarb drive-by—stop over to cut enough stalks to fill a grocery bag, say a quick hello and head home. Without fail, a rhubarb crisp will appear…

Cory Wesson is blessed to journey through life with his wife, Kim. They have a passion for raising alpacas. These endearing animals bring them joy every day, especially when their granddaughter visits. On page 68 Cory shares the bond he and his granddaughter have with an adorable alpaca. Kathryn Tapio grew up on a dairy farm, bucking hay bales and pitching manure. She passed her farm values on to her daughters, who raise goats and ride horses. You’ll often find her working in the garden, where she once received a crash course in tilling. Read all about that adventure on page 72. Barbara Ratliff taught science for 32 years and retired to care for her mother. She lives by the motto “Life is good and then it just gets better!”…

Dear Country… Pigs are so cute! My aunts found this mailbox (above) in a thrift shop and restored it for my cousin. It’s not used as a mailbox, just as a decoration. The wasps love to nest in it. Ellie Barton Colville, Washington I ALWAYS ENJOY COUNTRY cover to cover, but the Feb/March issue brought me close to locations and relationships across the USA as never before. First was the Mailbox on page 8 and the photo of the “open range” (just my kind of humor)—from Joseph, Oregon, where my brother and sister-in-law just built a home. Page 14 had a Bonnots Mill story from my native Missouri. Better yet, my 86-year-old aunt lives in Harwood, Missouri, the setting of the story “Grandma’s New Coat” (page 15). She is one…

The quaint 18th-century historic town of Wiscasset is often referred to as the prettiest village in Maine. Situated on the Sheepscot River only a few miles from the Atlantic Ocean, Wiscasset is the spot for those who love to hunt for antiques, art and oddities. Just driving through, you will be impressed with the stately old homes and the richness of early American architecture. Near the bridge crossing the Sheepscot, you will find fresh seafood stands as well as some local artisan’s booths. Across the street is Red’s Eats, a popular place for takeout snacks and lunches. My personal favorite restaurant is Sarah’s Cafe. On this trip my husband, Roland, had the steamed lobster, and I had the haddock burrito. You can eat inside or outside, overlooking the river. Our…

THERE WERE 10 CHILDREN in our family growing up in Fenwood, Wisconsin. Living on a dairy farm in the 1920s meant hard work for us all. But we were happy, and my mother always put food on our table. The train ran near our home, and Mom also made sure that travelers down on their luck had a meal and a place to sleep. The labor of planting and plowing the fields was a chore repeated often on our farm, usually without incident. But one day that I will never forget was when our faithful horse Flory saved a life. Dad was out planting corn on a deeply furrowed field. Suddenly, Flory stopped, refusing to move. Dad shouted. No movement. Dad used the whip. Still no movement. Finally, Dad stepped…

Six years ago, my wife, Liz, and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary. It was a lovely event hosted by our four sons and their families. Many wonderful friends from the past surprised us with best wishes and congratulations. Our gift to each other was an extended driving trip out west. We drove from Ontario through Manitoba, Saskatchewan and into Alberta, then southward into Glacier National Park in Montana. We continued to Red Lodge, which is the gateway to Yellowstone National Park. It was late spring, and the esteemed Beartooth Highway had opened for the season just weeks before. There was a great amount of snow remaining alongside the road. The scenery was so impressive that we made numerous stops to record memories with my camera. At roughly the highest…