Country Living

Country Living
By Cheryl L. McClure

Howdy from the country! 
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We moved to Hunt County a few years ago and we have gradually learned about #countryliving. It is a bit different than living in Dallas! Quite a bit! You see, we grew up in the metroplex and worked for years there, even though we visited Pickle Creek Ranch weekly.

Long story, but we ended up with two places out here in the country. Our original Pickle Creek Ranch is for cows, donkeys, our goat and pigs to live and the other is for us, the dog, more cows, more donkeys and chickens to live. Oh and the cat and a rooster are at Pickle Creek Ranch too. We named our homestead, Pecan Branch Ranch. 

Pecan Branch Ranch Sunset

It's peaceful out in the country! We can barely see a house from our house and there are cows in the front yard! ​We have a lot of pasture around us, so we can see the sky for miles.

Traffic varies from none to some and it’s either very fast or very slow! 

What we really like is following a bunch of cows down the road. Really - not really!
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Periodically there is road kill on the highway but the buzzards are busy cleaning up. That’s our main cleanup crew, so we have to watch out for them too.There are some forms of entertainment out here but you have to look for it via word of mouth or Facebook or looking on websites local to the area. 

After we settled into our home near Ladonia, we discovered the Chamber of Commerce there, a friendly group of people. Being curious about what they did, we began attending their meetings each month and eventually joined.

Ladonia Town Square

The funny thing is, we used to drive through town before we moved here and would see things going on, like events being held at the square or high school and putting up decorations for Christmas. Those were not paid positions, folks, those were volunteers!

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National Fossil Day in Ladonia

One time, there was a lecture being told about fossils from the North Sulphur River so we made it a point to put it on the calendar and go! It was fascinating to learn about the fossils even though there were only a few of us there (this is a small town you know) but the people were so nice and friendly. They turned out to be a couple who were freely offering to share their knowledge and love of the North Sulphur River and it’s gifts to us!

Later on, we learned about Fossil Day and that large event is held each year at the high school with some knowledgeable speakers, (one of whom we had met) and a trip to the river via. Ladonia Fossil Park. 

So you may be asking, what’s there to do out in the country? Well, for starters, there is fossil hunting at the North Sulphur River; hiking, bike riding or equestrian riding on the NETT (North East Texas Trail) and the Ladonia Rodeo different times of the year.

The Ladonia Chamber of Commerce hosts different events throughout the year. This brings the community together and when fundraisers are a part of it, more can be done for the community.

In springtime, there is the Easter Egg hunt, during 4th of July there are fireworks (hosted by the city, funded by donations), and twice a year there's the 20 Mile Garage Sale, inviting vendors to set up at the square for a modest fee and inviting the locals to do their own personal sales at home. We also include the surrounding towns of Pecan Gap, Bug Tussle, Dial and Ben Franklin!

Clean Up Day on the NETT

Clean Up Day on the NETT

Encouraging a community clean up day, locals are invited to come out and participate whether on the NETT or throughout town. We take pride in the appearance and cleanliness of this precious town. If everyone picks up one bag of trash from the side of the road, just think of the overall improvement! 

​One of our members personally took it upon himself to fill potholes that had been neglected due to unforeseen circumstances. He did it himself, to make a better drive through town during the 20 Mile Garage Sale, as a way of paying it forward, saying, “we don’t want to invite someone to town without cleaning up first!” ​​

Our yearly banquet with food, entertainment and auction, raises money as well as special entertainment that we are thrilled to share with community! 

Frontier Days has been a tradition for many years and the town shows up for fun and games. Fossil Day and Trunk or Treat happen in October. Other groups around town also participate in offering fun things to do for Halloween in October and it can get pretty scary! I won't do the hayride or haunted house!! #imachicken

The finale of the year is our fun, fabulous, fantastic Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting, which is getting more fun each year. Did I say fun??? You'd just have to be there to see the kids' faces when they get to go on the float to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus. It's priceless!!

Covered Wagon pulled by Mules

Being from the city, we took it for granted that all people are paid for doing services around town, mainly because in the metroplex there is a tax base for it.   Well, the further out you go, in small towns especially, that is not necessarily the case. Those of us at the Chamber of Commerce in Ladonia, are volunteers and we have such a good time working together for the betterment of the community. This past year we raised enough money to buy metal picnic tables with benches for the square. When we have a banquet or sell tickets to an event, we don't go for free! We each pay for a ticket to go, too! I am not sure how many people know that.
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If you move to a small town, or live there and want to get to know folks, check around and see what events are going on and who is doing them. You might just find yourself in the middle of it, meeting good hearted people and having a good time while doing something constructive for your own community.

May you enjoy every sunrise and sunset!
from Cheryl and Jan Paul @ Pickle Creek Ranch
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Sunrise at Pecan Branch Ranch