Cow Manure and my MIL

Did I tell you the one with the cow manure?

My mother-in-law was a great lady. I loved her. She was.......uhmmm.......unique. She was raised on a farm by her grandmother, aunt, and dearly loved uncle Davy. When her grandmother died she was taken to the big city and left with a family to be their servant. This was quite a long time ago and child labor was acceptable then. She managed to prosper, married, became a nurse's aide and mother to three children. One of them became my husband and introduced me to the funniest, most capable, adventurous lady I could ever have hoped for as a mother-in-law.

When I was very pregnant one early spring morning she decided she needed manure for her garden. This amazing lady could grow anything, anywhere, anytime. Her green thumb (and her sense of humor) were legendary. Remind me to tell you about the rabbits. And the shot gun. And the property. And .... well anything you can think of, there is a story.

She dragged me (city girl) with her back to her home in the hills. Oh, when I say hills think Very Steep Appalachian Hills with capital letters. Of course being very pregnant I was excited to meet these unknown relatives (yeah, right).

There were exciting moments. During the drive there we had several cbers make comments about getting together. At the farm there was a cow that kept licking my behind. May I tell you how frightening that was the first time it happened? I saw for myself how houses can be built on hillsides. Another frightening moment. And I still cannot figure out how anyone plows on land that is nearly vertical.

Eventually the visits to relatives and farms was completed. We had a large metal tub full of cow manure in the trunk. We were on our way back to the city.

It did not take long to figure out that fresh cow manure really really stinks.

We had to make the return trip with the windows open.

By the time we had reached the city we were frozen.

I was so very glad to get out of the car.

I loved that lady.

And I will never take a long ride with a trunk full of fresh cow manure ever again.