Come Along to My Favorite Country Store
Even here in Kansas there are few of these left and this one is a rare treat
You would think we have a lot of country stores since we’re surrounded by farmland and we’re located in the center of the country. However, for the most part, our larger cities are just as bustling, modern, and contemporary as any other in America. Unfortunately year by year city sprawl is encroaching on our untouched countryside as new housing developments seem to shoot up overnight, accompanied by more strip malls built for the sake of convenience.
Isn’t anyone wanting to live closer to the city anymore?
Since my husband and I have lived in a small suburban town outside of Wichita for 36 years, I occasionally enjoy venturing outside my berg to check out other small towns. Not only do I like a relaxing drive through the countryside, but once I reach my destination I often discover unique and interesting shops and businesses many people in the city don’t even know exist.
One such store quickly became my favorite and it’s nestled out on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere. My daughter told me about it after she stumbled on it by accident a few years ago while trying to find the address of a new masseuse.
Yesterday was a beautiful day with no wind, which is unusual, and a clear blue sky full of sunshine with an early morning temperature of 68F. A perfect day for a drive in the country.
I like to take our Shit-zu, Tucker, along when I go to this store because he loves car rides, plus I don’t have to worry about leaving him alone in the SUV while I’m inside. Very few people visit this store at any given time…
Although the main road I take is paved, in ten miles it narrows into a two lane dirt road that’s well maintained which lead to farms that dot the landscape. On my drive I catch glimpses of horses, cows and goats grazing behind fences, with modern looking homes built close to barns with tractors and horse trailers parked close by. Some farms have hand written signs posted by the road that say, farm fresh eggs $3 a dozen, or hot house tomatoes, etc.
Today I want to breathe in country air so my windows are partly down. The scent of fresh sweet air perfumed by wheat fields awaiting harvest is soothing. Tucker is shot gun, with his whole head stuck outside, ears flapping in the wind and his mouth wide open in a smile. If he could talk I’m sure I’d hear, “I love this drive, mom.”
When I reach a turn-about in the fork of the road, I head east for another mile before I reach a wide gravel driveway. A washed out sign in front is the only clue that I’ve found the store.
I slow down to make the turn onto the tree lined driveway and I pass the owners’ ranch style house possibly built in the 70’s. There’s a circle drive in front and the whole house is surroundings by well kept landscaping.
A little further down the drive there are fenced chicken coops and rabbit hutches on one side backed by a fenced pasture where a few horses graze and what looks like a blonde Labrador lounging in the sun close by. Tucker sees, or smells it and he barks to alert me.
I park in front of the one story red painted store with its wide wood-plank front porch. Tucker wants to get out too, but I push him back with a firm ‘stay’ as dogs aren’t allowed inside.
Old milk cans full of red Geraniums sit on both sides of the half-paned glass front door and there are a couple of old wooden rocking chairs complete with chipped paint resting beside them. As I push the door open a bell rings that hangs above the door and I see an older woman come out from a back room to warmly greet me. She’s probably around my age, another Boomer, and her wide smile tells me she’s delighted to have a customer. We exchange small talk before she points me to a chalkboard where she’s posted her ‘specials’ for the day.
This store’s carries a lot of natural vitamins and supplements, but they also offer fresh organic produce, farm fresh eggs from her chickens, an assortment of uncured meats, and a small reading nook with magazines on farming and gardening. I feel like I’m in the company of a retired farmer turned homesteader when I’m there, which in fact, she is, but now she’s a widow.
As I go down the aisles I happily notice that the prices are still at least 20% less than health food stores in Wichita. And, of course, most of those are located in strip malls congested in traffic and they have impersonal sales clerks.
This store is well worth the drive.
Along with some supplements, I pick up a bag of veggie straws for Tucker and I to snack on as I drive home along with a bag of his favorite healthy doggie treats. Her long glass check-out counter holds all sorts of body creams, soaps, and other toiletries all made from natural ingredients and I’m happy to see she’s still stocking my favorite, African black soap which my face loves.
As I check out, I get the low down on a new restaurant in a nearby town that’s just opened. “Great place to grab a sandwich,” she says, but since it’s only 10:30, I merely thank her for the heads up.
No doubt the businesses here rely mostly on word of mouth advertising.
She places my items in a box (no plastic bags here) as I hear the bell over the door chimes and we both turn to see another customer arrive. The stranger immediately compliments me on the cute dog waiting outside in my vehicle — There’s no room for mistaking who Tucker belongs to as I’m the only other one parked there. I make my exit promising her I’ll come back as I thank her for her hospitality and compliment her on how nice the store looks.
As soon as I step outside I catch a fragrant whiff of Honeysuckle and I noticed a lattice full of it at one end of the porch. The heady scent makes me want to stop and relax awhile in one of the empty rocking chairs, and I imagine other visitors know the feeling. I hear the chickens clucking and a horse whinnies as I see the Lab is now slowly approaching me. I greet him and he wags his tail and it’s obvious he doesn’t know a stranger.
I’ll return in a couple of months and I’m sure the owner and I will exchange small talk about having to endure yet another scorching, hot, dry summer. No doubt she’ll complain about the hardships are growing her veggies and how badly we need some more rain and I’ll agree.
Somethings are just predictable which is nice in these uncertain times.
As I drive away slowly Tucker is laser focused on the snack bag resting in my lap. He’s forgotten all about the strange scent of the animals and the fun of a car ride. Yes, he’s delightfully predictable too.
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