Wednesday, September 12, 2012

The Grand Gazebo

 The gazebo of my dreams

I grew up on a farm and have always loved living in the country. The only time that town life (and I don't mean city*) appeals to me is during the long Wisconsin winters, when I imagine walking my dogs by the light of street lamps and seeing the big snowflakes floating gently to the ground. Okay, maybe the reality would be slippery sidewalks or snow that's going sideways. Still, I do imagine it from time to time when the house in the country and the icy roads make me feel isolated.


 The front porch

Notice the gazebo in the background. And notice that beautiful front door! By the looks of the weeds growing up through the sidewalk, that front door has had precious little use of late.

This house (and gazebo) is in Westby, a town in the southern part of the state. I'd be very tempted to move there if only a) our church were there, b) my husband had work there,  c) my Bible study group lived there and d) I had a large alfalfa field north of the house.  Those are kinda important, so I suspect that I'll not be moving any time soon, but I do love the area. So does our granddaughter. She announced that she IS moving there when she's all grown up (which really isn't very far off).


 Mountain Ash


Wagon and U.S. Flag

If you scroll back to the photo of the porch, you'll see this little wagon and milk can. I thought it was such a cute object to have in the front yard, and sure beats a pink flamingo!

Each fall I try to plan things to do with friends during the long winter, but each winter rolls around and we sort of hibernate. This is not good, but it's very difficult to break this habit, especially when it's cold (like zero degrees) and gets dark so early. I hate going out at night on slippery roads and in the dark. 

What do you do in the winter, especially if you live out in the country and have to actually make an effort to get out??

*This does not include London. I wouldn't mind a 3-year stint living in that great city! (if the cost of living were no object, of course.) ;-)

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15 comments:

  1. I would have to say lots of sewing and baking!! Love that gazebo also!!

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  2. i would love to move that house and the little wagon here to Florida and put it on 10 acres of wooded land, right smack in the middle of a clearing in said woods, where i could see no neighbors at all. here in Florida we do the same thing all year long. no season changes, no cold no ice although the days do get shorter.

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  3. Lovely Gazebo! I would prefer mine screened in. And yes, an alfalfa field is a must!! :) I would love one next to our house, with a farmer to go with, so we wouldn't have to mow it ;)

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  4. We have extremely mild winters and our yellow house is literally eight minutes from the second largest city in Georgia but I hardly go out after five PM. That holds true in summer too. I am a home body essentially.I love the wee wagon and flag. I would be tethered to my alfalfa field too if I had one. We are pretty attached to our little yellow house here on the gravel road. hugs, olive

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  6. Hi Judy, Love all your photos. WE live in a small town in Colorado but our winters are mild compared to yours. I have a hard time seeing at night so usually don't go out much unless it is nearby. In the winters, I spend a lot of time quilting or being on the computer. Hope you have a great day.
    Noreen

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  7. Hi Judy, it looks lovely. I love the gazebo :)
    Have a lovely Day!

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  8. OK, my secret is baking, that way the house is warm, we are in a sugar high, and everyone is happy.

    We've only had a partial winter here, but when we stayed on the farm, I walked the dogs every day, even in -20 C weather, [that was cold].

    You are so fortunate to live where you do, all those years in the rainy city we lived through, we love the thought of the country.

    Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

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  9. Nice photos, Judy. Next time we drive to MN from IL, we need to go through Westby. Here our winters are rainy and it gets dark very early; we still try to walk every day though and it's good weather for indoor stuff like sewing, knitting and reading. A hooded jacket is a MUST!

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  10. Beautiful photos.

    Winter...I do like winter :) But I am a c-c skier, so I dream of snow. Winter nights can be fun to go out and snowshoe or ski. Especially on a full moon night. You can hear the owls hoot and can see by moonlight, which is a lot of fun.

    December is a great time to visit Irvine Park in the evening...all decked out for Christmas.

    After a wonderful time outside, come on in, get cozy with family and pets and watch a good movie.

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  11. I enjoyed this post. That tree is something. Just beautiful. Living in NJ our winters can be fickle. Last year we had no snow and this year they are predicting a tough winter. I love hunkering down and baking and have a nice fire going. Love this whole time of year.

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  12. A beautiful home! But, I relate to you--things about the country I wouldn't want to give up--but winters can be long and cold and very windy, so being outside is difficult for me. Wish we could have both worlds!

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  13. I have to say that was a beautiful house and picket fence and I would love to live there.

    Maybe your granddaughter will move there and you can come visit.

    The best of both worlds.

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