TAKE ME HOME COUNTRY ROADS

One of the things that I can remember very clearly about when I was growing up , is that we always seem to live in the country (outside the city limits) ,I think the rent was cheaper and my Dad didn't like haviing close neighbors, In fact, true story , one time I heard my Dad say to my Mom , "start packing Emma , the neighbor down the road, just called me by my first name , next thing you know he'll be wanting to borrow my tools " maybe ,he meant it and maybe not , but the fact is it wasn't to long before we were moving further down the road .

At least everyother week-in ,Dad would say to my Mom "pack a good picnic lunch and lets go for a ride in the country " now I don't know why he said it like that because as far as us kids were concerned we did live in the country .He would turn right or left off the main roads, and we would drive for miles on windy narrow roads .some paved most not and to me it was like I was seeing the WONDERS OF THE WORLD we saw , mountains and streams and caves and old houses and towns, abandon for years , some in the late 1800's and early 1900"s old trucks and cars and and closed ore mines , and a few old what we called "ghost towns" , where folks had just up and left when the mines played out or the train stopped running thru the town or when they built a freeway that by-passed all the local towns , with their little cafe's and gas stations and grocery stores , that depended a lot on the folks just passing thru for a lot of their business, and that was a long time ago , but sadly, the same thing is happing all over the world , but nowdays they don't just go around the old towns and places , NOW, they go right thru them and tear down all the old things , that to me ,when I was growing up were my history lessons. I learned a lot about people and things and places and about our past and a lot about our future, and where our generation was headed, and, I saw that the Past and all it's glory was just that THE PAST , and that being able to get from one place to the other quicker , and land to develop and call it the suburbs ( IT'S FUNNY THAT FOLKS STILL WANT TO SAY THEY LIVE IN THE COUNTRY) was more important than saving it and all the wonderful history that was there in that place called the country.

I wonder where our kids and grand-kids will get their history lessons , and if their Dads will some week-in mornings , pile them all into the family car, every once in a while and say "LETS TAKE A RIDE IN THE COUNTRY.I took my boy's when they were growing up on lots of trips to the country , and shared with them history as I knew it , just like my Dad did with us (my brother and sister) and today they thank me ever so often for taking the time to show them THE WONDERS OF THE WORLD and they tell me , that their kids love it when they say everyonce in a while, when they find the time, "Pack a picnic lunch (Mc Donalds or KFC) and lets go for a ride in the country"

How about you and your families? Do you take country rides once in a while and show the kids what the world was like before computers and video games and tv? I hope you DO , and while you're at it , take lots of pictures( because that may very well be all we'll have of yesterday) , and sing songs together ( remember Row ,Row ,Row Your Boat Gently Down The Stream , or 99 Bottles of Beer On The Wall or my all time favorite The Bear Went Over The Mountain ) while you're riding down the bumpy roads, be sure you've got plenty of gas , and a spare tire , who knows what kind of adventure you may have , and OH YA don't forget to pack a picnic lunch .

Just the other day Ciejay and me were riding down the road, going for a ride in the country , when we came to this road that turned off to the left that looked like it was traveled very little , Soooooo we turned off and drove for what ,I know was miles of narrow dirt road , thru field after field planted with corn and sugar apple trees, I said to myself "is this all this is " and Ciejay said "let's go back", when all of a sudden right in front of us was a small resort. I could'nt believe my eyes , who would build a resort way back here in the COUNTRY . We pulled in the driveway and was meet of course by a few dogs , and a very nice lady whose job it was to be a caretaker for this little place . It seems that some folks in Bkk , owned a little piece of land here and built this resort , for a place for their close friends and family that live in THE BIG CITY to be able to come and relax and enjoy a few days in the country, They call it the Beautiful Sky Resort . Only four little cabins and a kitchen outside (you bring your own food and cook for yourselves, a Karoke room , a gazabo with a pond filled with colored lights and a small building also for toilets and showers . The land leading up to it is flat and then you come to a hill and an outcrop of huge rocks growing up all around ,and they built the resort and trails and paths and gardens all around the rocks , it's beautiful to behold and you can see why the call it Beautiful Sky , the lady said it is always full every Friday Saturday and Sunday with family and friends of the owners but during the week , theres noone there , shes going to call and see if we can rent it some time to get away for a day or two and enjoy the COUNTRY.