House on the Prairie

Our home on the prairie.

When my husband and I moved to a small town in northern Texas, we decided to embrace it.  For us, that meant moving out on some land in a rural farming area outside of town.  My husband, who was raised on 30 acres, assured me that the small 3 acre lot we purchased was perfectly manageable.  I however, having mostly lived in an apartment environment, thought 3 acres was a little intimidating.

To the front of us is a wheat field, to the back is cotton, and to the side is the neighbor's horse & donkey.  There are few trees out here, so the winds truly come sweepin' down the plain.  Little did I know how problematic this would be... nothing like the musical led me to believe.

In this part of the world, we have lots of red dirt, very little rain, and enough wind to power a city. This creates a lovely dirt-wind cocktail that resembles something from the surface of Mars. My pack porch has a constant layer of red mud that no amount of daily cleaning can cure.  The grill has to be positioned just-so to avoid red dirt seasoning carried in the wind.  Some days, the view from my window looks identical to that in a 1930's dust bowl.

The dust & debris doesn't just affect outdoor living; it has seeped into my house as well.  All of my white window sills are covered in red dust, even with the windows shut.  The hardwood floors and tables are coated in a layer of red dirt, no matter how frequently I clean. I can't imagine how the women who pioneered this area coped...  I'm not sure how I'd do it without my  Dyson vacuum and Swiffer WetJet.

This is a classic "Be Careful What You Wish For" scenario.  I can assure you that our next home will be tucked away amongst large trees, green lawns, and lots of obstacles to stop the wind.