Home on the Range

Today I decided to write a little bit more about where I live. Our family resides in a town at the base of the foothills to the Sierra Nevada Range. Although I grew up in Texas, where I'm positive they have more cowboys per square foot, my little town of just under twenty thousand com padres claims to be the "Cowboy Capital of the World." In fact the picture of the rodeo sign within the last few days has painted that exact phrase in bold lettering across the top. Just in case passers by were curious or misled by some other town that might declare the same statement.
Our home is a stone's throw away from the famed Oakdale Rodeo and upon further education about our community I have learned that Oakdale houses champion roping cow folk. It's amusing to be so celebrated.
I must admit though, this place has always felt more like home than any other place we have lived. I think the cowboys must bring contentment into the territory. Everyone I've had the pleasure of meeting has been very agreeable and I've quickly made friends of strangers.
Thinking back about a year ago when we moved here a recent acquaintance of mine asked me how I liked Oakdale. I replied that I was happy with our new surroundings and found it to be much more serene compared to where our other home was located. She replied that although she has now lived here for many years it "took a lot of getting used to all the cowboys." I smiled and replied that since I'm originally from Texas I never considered cowboys to be a drawback to relocating.
I'm just a southern gal trying to make a life for my family in a little town in the middle of the vast California Central Valley. It's home sweet home to me.