I grew up in a little Wyoming town and though I haven't actually lived there for 39 years, when I step foot into the front door of Mom and Dad's house I am "home". I love my parent's old house. It was built originally for a doctor and is probably one, if the not the biggest home in Cowley. It has tall ceilings, big rooms and although Mom and Dad have remodeled many things, there is still that vintage look about it. When they bought it, they had quite a large sized lot but have since sold one spot to my brother Jon and another spot to me. Wayne and I really thought we would be building a home on that lot 5 years ago but due to a need for health insurance and security, we moved to Utah. However we still keep in the back of our minds the idea that we may still do it one day. The things I love about their house are these:
Mom and Dad still live there after 50 years
It is a 2 story home and used to have a big porch all across the front but Dad remodeled it to accommodate a large living room. The giant cottonwood trees are no more. They served our family well and protected families of owls, robins and other birds but they also outlived their usefulness when they started to drop large branches that came close to the cars parked beneath so they were taken down. I miss them but Mom and Dad don't. They used to produce enough leaves to jump in for hours or to rake into the shape of my leaf house with divided rooms. I loved that!! Mom and Dad didn't.
Mom always has flowers. She had a row of marigolds that went the length of the lot but has since had to move them because Jon's house sits on this site.
These are the original light fixtures made from heavy leaded glass and brass. Now I ask you, how did they survive with my 4 brothers living there? Then along came my son and the other grandsons that were forever throwing things and (knock on wood) they still survive.
The top sides of the inside doors have this beautiful detail. (Probably hand carved)
The living room still has these wonderful leaded glass windows
The original bead-board and wood railings are still in place going up the stairs.
This is the back of the house which is surrounded by trees and bushes and a very large lawn. It was only in the last few years that Dad got a riding mower.
This is the side where you go down to a cellar and where Mom's home canned food is stored. It only has an outside entrance so in the winter it can be kind of tricky and pretty slick if it has snowed.
This is a decorative wooden element that Dad salvaged and painted and appointed to the top of the front door.
This is the yard in a typical Wyoming winter
The front porch of the home is a place where we all congregate when we go home for a visit. On a hot day, it really doesn't feel as hot as it is. For some reason the air currents rush through and keep it cool. You can see the birds and squirrels running around and the townsfolk driving or walking by and there is always a "hello". Life slows down just a little when you sit on the porch.Am I sounding nostalgic? I am feeling it. Maybe it's the time of the year, or the fact that I don't get to go home enough any more, or most likely it's the fact that I still have two amazing people to call my parents and I miss them.
