March 4, 2016 – Sunshine Lane

Crossing the Texas state line,
I take a deep breath,
a tradition in our family,
meant to be a breath of fresh air,
sunshine, and a feeling of homecoming.

This time, as I take a deep breath,
I am nearly overwhelmed by the
lovely scent of…cattle, cattle,
and the peculiarly odiferous
smells that only a full cow lot
can create and maintain.

Still, the sky is blue,
there are faint clouds
high overhead, and
the spaces are wide open.

As I turn onto highway 385 south,
I get caught between two cattle trucks.
Ugh! Not that smell again!
My nose has turned itself up
into an Elvis Presley sneer
that startles me in its strength.

Then, I see the winter wheat fields.
Deep green in a land of reddish brown soil.
The contrast between the two colors
is astoundingly beautiful.

There are fuzzy cows in the
field of deep green and I breathe deeply.
I see a couple of true Texas Longhorns
in the mix and feel my face smile
from ear to ear.

I am truly, back in Texas.