I'm somewhere way out in Nebraskatwisting my way through sandy hills and pine forests and quickly approaching Wyoming-when Jean Norman calls.
"What car are you driving?"
"A Chevy Malibu."
A moment of silence.
"An SUV would have been better."
When I pitched my editor a story on Our Heritage Guest Ranch, I sold it as a dude ranch. I imagined I'd ride horses, sit around a fire under the stars, and dabble in chores. The property's owner, Jean, had been courteous and demure in email, but now, a few miles out, I already feel like I've failed a test. Jean says rain has left the roads a muddy mess, and my car won't make it. She instructs me to stop at the Dairy Sweet in Crawford and wait for her. "Get yourself a barbecue sandwich."
I do as I'm told. The only noise in the Dairy Sweet lot is the metallic creak of a rusted Pepsi sign blowing in the breeze. "Best in the West," the sign declares, with worn letters that now say "e ts 'N Trea." I'm trying to determine if it once read "Meats 'N Treats" or "Sweets 'N Treats" when a pickup rumbles in.
"Hi Jean, I'm Julia!" I babble excitedly. "So nice to meet-"
"I think you can make it," Jean cuts in. "Follow me." And she turns back onto the road.
I rush back to my car and race to keep up with her cloud of dust. Jean is flying, windows down. I'm struck by her presence-a tall, strong woman with long, platinum-blond hair, Jean is a no-BS type.
And she has to be. The great-granddaughter of a Swedish homesteader, Jean is one of the country's rare independent female ranchers. Over the next days, I come to learn that she shoulders a lot. Disregard from male counterparts. Assumptions made about her. Lack of respect. Even threats and vandalism. Her toughness isn't a facade; it's a necessity.
この記事は Midwest Living の Summer 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
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この記事は Midwest Living の Summer 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
MAJOR KEY
HUNDREDS OF SMALL ISLANDS TRAIL LIKE STEPPING STONES OFF OF FLORIDA INTO THE GULF OF MEXICOAND THE PATH LEADS TO KEY WEST.
cream of the crop
IN A TINY TOWN OUTSIDE MADISON, WISCONSIN, A CENTURY-OLD CREAMERY HAS BEEN REVIVED AS A BOUTIQUE HOTEL AND CULINARY DESTINATION. FOR VISITORS TO PAOLI, SEVEN ACRE DAIRY COMPANY ANCHORS A SWEET WEEKEND GETAWAY. FOR SMALL DAIRY PRODUCERS, IT'S RESHAPING THE FUTURE.
HOME BAKED
ON A TREE-LINED RESIDENTIAL STREET IN DES MOINES, A BAKERY DREAM HAS COME WRAPPED IN LOVE, UNEXPECTEDLY TRUE COMMUNITY AND ALL-BUTTER PASTRY.
POST MODERN
AN INDIANA DIY'ER STUMBLES INTO SOCIAL MEDIA STARDOM BY SHARING HER HOME'S EVER-CHANGING STYLE.
POUR ME A DOUBLE
COFFEE BY DAY, COCKTAILS BY NIGHTTHESE HYBRID CAFES OPEN EARLY FOR CAFFEINE FIXES AND STAY UP LATE FOR LIBATIONS.
HOT IN HERE
THE UPPER MIDWEST (AND ESPECIALLY MINNEAPOLIS) IS FIRED UP OVER SAUNA CULTURE. HERE ARE 10 WAYS AND PLACES TO GET YOUR STEAM ON.
SHOP THE BLOCK
FOR MORE THAN 15 YEARS, ST. LOUIS' ANNUAL PRINT BAZAAR HAS TURNED CHEROKEE STREET INTO A BUSTLING, MAGICAL MILE OF ART AND HOLIDAY CHEERTHE PERFECT KICKOFF TO A WEEKEND EXPLORING THE LOU.
EASY SQUEEZY
THIS LITTLE LEMON LOAF HAS A SOFT TEXTURE AND A PUCKERY, BUTTERY GLAZE THE PERFECT AFTERNOON BAKE FOR A SNOW DAY.
WINTER RESET
THESE WARMING, SPICE-FORWARD MEALS PROVIDE A HEALTHFUL RESPITE AMONG (OR AFTER) ALL THE HOLIDAY INDULGENCES.
DARK ARTS
WITH HER DRAMATIC COLOR CHOICE AND SECONDHAND TREASURES, INTERIOR DECORATOR RUTHIE JACKSON BRINGS THE MOOD WHEN HOSTING FOR THE HOLIDAYS AND BEYOND.