Where's the song ~~ "Don't let your daughters grow up to marry a Cowboy" ?

​​​​​​​Life is tough! Requires hard physical work, long, long days of pain, dirt, and broken fingernails.​
​Days of frigid cold & scorching heat; through the dust & mud; daybreak into the darkness of nite~~​
​the heart & body becomes toughened & weathered replicating leather!​
​A forever constant factor for a real Cowboy's Wife is tons of sweat, oceans of tears and a constant 'drought' in the wallet!​
​​
​​
​​
​​​​​​​​​IF​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ she wants to spend anytime at all with her Cowboy, she must do as he does, you become partners!​
​​
​​
​​
​​
​​​​​​Kick off your boots, grab a cup of coffee, sit back and envision yourself in my life!​
​... It really isn't that bad! There are many rewards to be had to make it a great lifestyle! ...​ ​​​​​​​


Thursday, February 5, 2009

It's Not Your "Last Chance"...

...but Your "Take A Chance".

~

We have all seen signs on the Highways "Last Stop...."
"Last Chance...." for various reasons.
You pay heed or not, depending on your present or future needs.

Our little town has a "market", if you will.
I've given it the name "Take A Chance".
When I drive the 10 miles to get there...
I always know that I'm "Taking a Chance".~

A Chance that they will have scotch tape if I accidentally tossed a bill I didn't want to pay into the shredder.

A Chance that they will have toilet paper if my last roll fell into the toilet and sank like a dying ship.

A Chance that they will have salt if, for some reason I tossed too much over my shoulder, which I do daily!

A Chance that they will have milk if Cowboy is having his lactose withdrawals.~

Our "Take A Chance" market is slowly whithering away, into the dust from which it emmerged about 100 yrs ago.

Yesterday I asked our Son, who is here for a few days,
to go "Take A Chance".
~

So much for the need (or want) of milk!~
~
~
~
~

This is what he found taped to the locked door.





...Only in Small Town, USA

(and this morning?? NO MILK!)



51 comments:

Sherry Sikstrom said...

Beautiful somehow, Sad that those little stores are slowly fading away. Hope the foal is OK and you got your milk!

Mrs. Mom said...

YAY!!! WoW!!! Awesome that your son is there to visit- that has to fill you with smiles!

Dude. No Milk?? Dont you have a neighboring milk cow who could donate a half gallon or so? ;)

Miss you there wonderful lady!

Glenda, saved by grace said...

That would be great, to trust, and be trusted...
I'm so glad your getting to visit your boy!

Marlos ACE said...

This is great! I was just thinking yesterday, how I would love to live in a small town. LOVE it!! Marlo

Tatersmama said...

How lovely that you've got your son visiting! You need to have a word with mine now, because his mama is pineing (pining?) away. anyway... I'm going into decline.
;-)

It's kind of sad that a lot of the old stores are going, isn't it?
I remember "our" little local store from when I was a kid - run the the Albertoni family. Man, Mr. "Albert" could be a mean son of a gun - and he never shut for ANY reason!

(and it's good to see you back, my friend!)

Sarah said...

Yep, only in small town usa. Love it.

You could head over here! We have some for ya!

Enjoy your time with your son.

Robynn's Ravings said...

The perils of getting off the "fast freeway" of city living. Inconvenient sometimes but richer that they would think you would care why they're gone. And I'm sure you do!

We used to have little corner grocery stores that were sort of dark and loamy smelling inside. Always had screen doors that I can still hear slam. They had coke machine chests where you had to lead your icy bottles through the little metal mazes to get them out. We moved a lot after I was seven and I knew many of these places. What you describes reminds me of them. Gives me a warm, melancholy feeling in my chest just thinking about it.

So glad you're back and you have time with your "baby."

Jenn said...

what u mean u didn't wait until 4pm? Gosh, I thought u loved Cowboy! Powered milk? Heck, it's a small area, I am surprised it wasn't unlocked with a note reading
"Just leave me your name and what you got, I will bill you"

Hurry back!
ya internet sisssy
Jenn

terri said...

You make me realize how good I've got it. 24 hour grocery stores and the convenience of a Target store just around the corner. I never have to do without for long. Hope you can find some milk soon!

The Wife said...

Love it! I just adore small town stores. That is too funny.

Train Wreck said...

Oh you should have sent him to the neighbors. You know to "borrow" some. You can't tell me there are'nt any milk cows out there in those fields? It's better than tippin...he he, I love that about small towns! Your son is there!? How fun. SO now you can hand him your camera and we can see some pictures of YOU!! Get on it sista!! Time for you.

That Janie Girl said...

That's funny, girl!

Well, unless that man of yours was going into milk withdrawal.

Far Side of Fifty said...

Love the note! We also have a take a chance market..never can tell what they will have..or not. Luckily they have no horses! Good to see you surfacing again. Glad your son is there for you:)

Mikey said...

Gotta love it! Small Town USA, right there. You'll be going in in a few days asking "Boy or girl?" lol

Andrea said...

I love small towns. I actually wished ours was a bit smaller. It keeps getting bigger. Farmers are selling out and houses are being built. We are just far enough away from town that drving isn't too bad, and so people are tyring to move out here.

And I hope their mare and foal are doing well!!

Sage said...

Glad to have you back Barb, you have been missed.

Love the name Take a chance.. something I am not going to do this morning as it is now snowing heavily again...

Definitely prefer to have this snow in someone else's yard...

{{hugs}}

ps hope their foal is ok and you got some milk.

BloggessJ said...

Bad things happen when there is no milk at our house....I hope you got some milk! Have a great weekend!

Shirley said...

Small town markets in Canada are usually run by Korean families, so we don't have a problem with them not being open. Ours bakes fresh bread every day, so it always smells wonderful.
The note on the door got me thinkin'; mare foaling in the daytime? Rather unusual, hope she's okay. Mine usually foal shortly after midnight!

LL said...

I'm thinkin' you need to get you a Jersey and start supplying the demand!

DesertHen said...

Oh I have been to many "take a chance" markets in the various places we have lived over the years. You just never knew if they were going to have what you needed or not....most of the time they didn't have much of anything! How these little places stay afloat is beyond me. Usually things are priced very high, but when you are in the middle of nowhere and you need t-pee or milk....you will just about pay any price. And only in a small town will you find a note such as the one your son found yesterday. One time, we arrived at one of the "take a chance" stores to find nobody around, just a note that said, get what you need and leave money under the counter in the jar. Talk about small town trust!

I feel rather spoiled now that we live so close to three large stores for shopping, one of those being a Super Walmart...which by the way I despise!!

((((HUGS))) to you my friend. Life is hectic around these parts and on top of that, I have to spend all of next week in Las Vegas for a work related conference. I don't like the big city!!

Janice Thomson said...

We have a corner store like that - you never know what they have that day. And one day there was a note on their door too - but not nearly as funny - theirs said "Closed - indefinitely" That was last year and it is still closed. :)

Egghead said...

You made me laugh this rainy day. I like the "accidentally" shredding the bill you don't want to pay. Ha Ha! We have two little stores near our place. Both carry just the basics and are usually out of something we need. Plus they charge an arm and a leg. But I am thankful to have them because it saves a trip to town.

Anonymous said...

Okay, my puppies are staring at me because i am laughing so hard. I love your market! What a great reason to close the store!
I have nominated you for the "Lemonade Award" because of your blogs like this. I love the creative approach you have in your blog - from Longfellow to the graphics you use - you are something special.

Femin Susan said...

Hi………
Absolutely fantastic post! Good job!
Keep writing…….

Vaquerogirl said...

Awesome! I love the last part- 'hopefully',

Gail said...

Gotta love the small towns...they are the heart of our nation!

Pony Girl said...

Oh goodness, how quaint! Let us know if you ever got the milk...and of course I want to know about the foal, too! ;)

Annie Wicking said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Annie Wicking said...

Hi WOW,
We too are losing our small shops, pubs and post offices. Soon out of town area will become ghost towns... err, ghost villages somehow doesn't sound the same. lol.

Hope you find some milk soon. Would it not be easier to buy a cow?

Best wishes,

Annie

Heidi said...

MISSED YOU!!!!! Hope the foal is well!!! LOL

Lil Mama said...

I have a "Last Chance Market" I call it my mother in laws house.(she lives on the same ranch)Thank goodness she shops for everybody.

Dr.blogger said...

Alsalamo Alikum
hi barb , I can imagine the hard you've to get to the market, if possible could you catch some pictures to your town so we could see it ...
see you
** happy virtual friends :) **

Emily said...

Love the note! I discovered coffee during the first foaling at the barn I boared at!

CONTEST on my blog!

Jeannelle said...

Cute post. One thing NEVER heard at our place....."No Milk"!

wordmama said...

It's like the good old days of "gone fishin!" I hope your old chance store makes it. So long as good folks like you keep coming and keep understanding the need to attend an important birth, they should be fine!

Glad to have you back WOW - we missed you!

The Blonde Duck said...

I moved! Come visit me at www.aduckinherpond.com.

I'm glad you're back!

Sharon said...

Yup! Sounds just like our little store. Ours is called "Galaxy". I can agree with their choice of names too because the way they stock it, I believe they are from another galaxy.

Nothing like country living, huh?

Have a blessed evening,
Sharon

Train Wreck said...

um, hello...are you there? Is your internet giving you problems again? You son, is he still there, keeping you busy? I hope all is well at your homestead, my dear friend. Check in soon ok....

Anonymous said...

wonderful to c u back!
and w/ humor.
Thinking of you
w/ thanks!!!!!... will be in touch soon

Ranch wife said...

How cute. So sad that stores like these are a dying breed.

~M~

Tessa said...

Missing you! Hope all is well and that you are happy...and warm. Please come back soon - we need that special WOW factor!

Jenn said...

Alll right sister, it is Whhhhaaaahhhy past four PM,so get your butttttttacus back online and update us.
Misses you... he sent me a bottle of that perfume I blogged about for V-day... g/f see what yoru missing?

Sherry Sikstrom said...

Hey helloo are you coming back? we miss you!

Freak Magnet said...

That's one of the things that I love about small town America - the small little markets. I miss that small town life more than I can express.

So how did the foaling go??

Tardevil said...

I don't know how you do it! When I've moved the last 2 times, I require a Target or Wal-mart be within 10 miles of me. I'm not sure I could survive w/out them! :O) Have a Happy Valentine's Day!

Robynn's Ravings said...

Just wonderin' about you and missing your posts....hope all is well. Maybe you had to go REALLY FAR for what you needed! Come back soon!

Sarah said...

I know it was inconvenient, but I love the simplicity of small town living. I'd never find that sign hanging on the door of any store in my crowded area.

Sage said...

Missing you Barb xx xx

Rising Rainbow said...

I guess it's all a matter of perspective. For me a closed store for foaling makes perfect sense. There's no way I'd trade that for what others see as the convenience of city life......neighbors too close there is no privacy and 24 hour noise, I don't think so. LOL

Maria said...

Funny post, love the note & small towns

Unknown said...

Nice post! Thanks for leaving a comment on my blog.

We farm and sell seed. We practice the honor system around here. Our seed customers wait on themselves once my husband gets in the fields. He leaves notes and they leave notes. It all works out just fine.;D