Great People

Since the first weekend in May we’ve been incredibly busy hosting glampers and other guests. With so many vacation plans altered this year, due to COVID, many have come to our farm - to a place where they felt safe, since they’d be either outdoors or in their private tent. 

Some of our guests have preferred to communicate solely through email or texts. Maybe they waved from a distance. Others though, have booked one of our private farm tours. We let them know ahead of time that we’d be maintaining an appropriate distance. Though we no longer shake hands with guests or high five the kids who join their families on tours, we’ve still gotten to know some great people. 

They’ve encouraged us that the beauty and tranquility of the place we’ve provided has made a difference in their lives. Many of them have left relaxed and recharged as they head back home to DFW, Austin, Waco, Houston and even here in Navarro County. 

We’ve enjoyed meeting a wide variety of people. Recently, we met a private chef, originally from Columbia, who now lives in Waco. She and her husband came out to buy some produce, but while they were on the property we gave them an impromptu tour. We got to hear the story of how they met and how she became a chef. 

We’ve also met the owner of a wine business who wanted to celebrate her husband’s recent graduation. She booked the glamping tent and our private chef for their visit. She, her husband and daughter were able to commemorate an important milestone in a unique and safe environment. During their stay, their daughter formed a special bond with our guard donkey, Ruth. The photo they shared with us remains one of our favorites.

We’ve been treated to a campfire brunch, complete with mimosas, by friends who were glamping. At a time when we’ve only had a few meals with friends, hanging out with these folks who we’ve known almost since moving to Texas nine years ago, was such a treat for all four of us. 

I’ve mentioned in a previous column about our son and his wife traveling from California to come see us and their new niece, our granddaughter. They and their dogs spent three nights in the glamping tent. We had some magical evenings around the campfire with them, chatting and laughing. It was surreal to me to experience something so sweet in a year that has been so heavy for me personally and for the world as a whole.

As each guest has left, whether we knew them before the visit or not, we have experienced such gratitude that we have a place where people can come retreat, refresh and relax. We’ve met some of the most enjoyable and interesting individuals, many of whom we now consider friends. Our lives have been enriched and our hearts encouraged. 

This piece was first published in Sherry Asbury Clark’s column, “Finding Myself in a Small Town,” in the October 31, 2020 issue of the Corsicana Daily Sun.