{"id":513,"date":"2008-04-13T08:11:23","date_gmt":"2008-04-13T12:11:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/reflectionsfromacountrygirl.com\/?p=513"},"modified":"2008-04-15T05:39:44","modified_gmt":"2008-04-15T09:39:44","slug":"goin-country-gone-country","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reflectionsfromacountrygirl.com\/?p=513","title":{"rendered":"Goin’ Country"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been crazy these last six months.\u00c2\u00a0 The stress has been much more than normal, though I am a master at making it look like I am taking things in stride without changing my pace at all.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

It wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t a surprise when I told those closest to me I was going away for some time to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153regroup\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.\u00c2\u00a0 I had planned on taking a trip to New Jersey to visit some friends and to take a quick trip from there into NYC to see my son while he is working on a film in Brooklyn. \u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not relaxing…\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I said to myself.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

So, I decided to go from one extreme to another and head to the mountains of Tennessee. Like Glenn Miller said in his song, Going to the Country<\/em>, I decided to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153leave the city put my troubles behind.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

I decided to go to Possum Trot.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, Possum Trot.\u00c2\u00a0 It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a real 1850s cowboy town on the Tennessee\/Kentucky border. I had never been there before.\u00c2\u00a0 It took me six hours to drive by car.\u00c2\u00a0 When I turned off the main road I suspected I should have rented a truck.\u00c2\u00a0 My white Avalon just didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t cut it in those rugged mountains but I was there now and not about to turn around.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As I turned the corner around the bend I could see the rugged town.\u00c2\u00a0 Three dogs came running to greet my car.\u00c2\u00a0 Turns out that one of them, Lobo, was 3\/4 wolf.\u00c2\u00a0 When I stepped out of the car it was obvious the dogs were there to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153size me up.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 Their tails started wagging and I knew I was ok.\u00c2\u00a0 They approved.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

I had already been told the town was deserted for the next several days.\u00c2\u00a0 The only one I might find there was Ernie and the dogs.\u00c2\u00a0 Ernie was the resident blacksmith and lived in one of the small cabins.\u00c2\u00a0 The town would be coming alive in a few days with cowboys and cowgirls ready to shoot and have a good time for the weekend. \u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

All the cabins were going to be full so I opted for a room up over the saloon.\u00c2\u00a0 Sure enough, Big Nose Kate\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s room was waiting for me.\u00c2\u00a0 Sorta made me feel like a saloon girl walking up the stairs.\u00c2\u00a0 They often slept and entertained over the saloon in those mid to late 1800s cowboy days. \u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

I was told right up front that it got rowdy in the saloon at night and sometimes it didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t settle down till close to sunrise.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Cool.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I said.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll probably stay up with them.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Late that afternoon I met Ernie.\u00c2\u00a0 He claimed to be a hippie from the 60\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s.\u00c2\u00a0 He had lots of stories to tell and I heard many of them.\u00c2\u00a0 I also discovered he was a master gun maker.\u00c2\u00a0 When he wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t making guns he dished up breakfast in the chow hall for the mornings there was a crowd.\u00c2\u00a0 You had to get there early to get his food. Once it was gone, it was gone.\u00c2\u00a0 It went fast.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Cowboys are a hungry bunch.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Settling in for a relaxing night\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sleep, I realized I better get all the sleep I could.\u00c2\u00a0 The next few nights could be sleepless ones and I needed my rest.\u00c2\u00a0 It was peaceful there.\u00c2\u00a0 Only a faint train in the distance could be heard.\u00c2\u00a0 No streetlights, no cars or trucks rushing by to get home, no fire sirens or police cars, no regular sounds I hear in my house at night. \u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

It was dead silent.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Later the next morning I ventured out to the Big South Fork National Park.\u00c2\u00a0 The goal was to drive all the way around the park…which turned out to be a four hour drive that took me into the central time zone and Kentucky.\u00c2\u00a0 When I pulled back into town, there were a few cowboys settling in at the bunkhouse.\u00c2\u00a0 We gathered at the fire which was surrounded by swings and chairs right in the middle of town.\u00c2\u00a0 I had come back from my trip with a walking stick and thought about taking out my pocketknife from the car and carving it.\u00c2\u00a0 We all talked while I whittled away in front of the fire.\u00c2\u00a0 There were a few ladies there as well so we talked girl stuff while the guys talked shooting.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

I was finally beginning to relax.\u00c2\u00a0 The stress was peeling off.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Within hours the place transformed into a town of cowboys.\u00c2\u00a0 There were lots of hatted men and women in town for a good time.\u00c2\u00a0 The saloon started to liven up and the girls brought food from the kitchen for hungry folks to fill their stomachs. Pool tables were full and a card game was forming.\u00c2\u00a0 Ernie asked if I wanted to go play a few rounds so I pulled my quarters out and headed over where the game was about the begin.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Four hours later I had learned how to play five card stud, seven card stud and Texas holdum.\u00c2\u00a0 I started with $13 and wound up with a ziploc bag full of quarters.\u00c2\u00a0 Not sure how many there were altogether.\u00c2\u00a0 Like Kenny Rogers sings….\u00e2\u20ac\u009dyou got to know when to hold up, know when to fold um…you never count your money when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re sittin at the table they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be time enough for countin when the dealin\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s done.” \u00c2\u00a0I just never got around to counting it. \u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Lets just say I won a sizable amount.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

It was very late when we decided to call it quits for the night.\u00c2\u00a0 I fell into bed and it wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t until later that morning that I opened my eyes.\u00c2\u00a0 I missed Ernie\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s big breakfast.\u00c2\u00a0 All that was left was a biscuit and some strong coffee.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

The cowboys and cowgirls shot until early that afternoon.\u00c2\u00a0 They cleaned up and we were ready for another fun filled night at the saloon.\u00c2\u00a0 By the end of the next day I had to head home.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

Duty called.\u00c2\u00a0 Reality set in again. \u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

I did come back much more relaxed.\u00c2\u00a0 Like Glenn Miller sang in his song – Going to the Country – I found myself \u00e2\u20ac\u0153goin’ to the country just to feel like gold…people in the country really let themselves go.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Believe me, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be going back. \u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

My wish for you today<\/strong> is that you take time to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153de-stress\u00e2\u20ac\u009d when times are tense.\u00c2\u00a0 You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be glad you did.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Joellen\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0\"town121.jpg\"\t<\/span>\"town22.jpg\"\t<\/span>\"town3-2.jpg\"\t<\/span>\"tatonka2.jpg\"\t<\/span>\"bigsouthforksign2.jpg\"\t<\/span>\"erniecuttingup2.jpg\"\t<\/span>\"jpmarshalltoosweet2.jpg\"\t\t<\/span>\"concentration2.jpg\"<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been crazy these last six months.\u00c2\u00a0 The stress has been much more than normal, though I am a master at making it look like I am taking things in stride without changing my pace at all.\u00c2\u00a0 It wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t a surprise when I told those closest to me I was going away for some time […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,27,42,46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-513","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-life-events","category-living-life-to-the-fullest","category-making-wise-choices","category-stress-relief"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/reflectionsfromacountrygirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/reflectionsfromacountrygirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/reflectionsfromacountrygirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reflectionsfromacountrygirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reflectionsfromacountrygirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=513"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/reflectionsfromacountrygirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/reflectionsfromacountrygirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=513"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reflectionsfromacountrygirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=513"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reflectionsfromacountrygirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=513"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}