English - 111 - F05
11 September 2014
Country Living
To some, being born and raised within the country could be a curse; however, to me, it is a blessing. I was fortunate to have been born into a family with a strong upbringing in the country. I am so proud to have these values instilled in me. There are many differences in values between living within the city and living in the country. I was deprived of some of the amenities that the city offers; however, I believe that I received so many life lessons from living in the country that I cannot replace.
In November of 1965, I was born to Arthur and Fredalyn Powell. I began my life across the dusty, plowed field from the location where I live now. My first memories are playing on an old, rusty, tractor while my daddy worked in the fields.
English: John Deere 9960 cotton harvester/picker E...
English: Cotton picker עברית: קוטף כות...
Near Coolidge, Arizona. Migratory cotton picker wi...I remember being carried to the tobacco barn while my grandmother made sure that the valuable leaves of the cash crop were handled with delicacy of fine china while being placed in the barn. I have some very fond memories of the sweet yet bitter aromas, almost good enough to eat, that I could smell while riding with my father to check the tobacco barns curing the leaves to a golden perfection. These checks had to be made multiple times each day to assure the perfect temperature in the barns.
The next memories I have begun in the mid 1970's, my daddy was always looking for new ways to make money to support his family. We began building a white sided, wood framed, 40 by 100 feet, building to raise livestock. This was large enough in size to handle six farrowing sows and up to one hundred feeder pigs. I...