Spending the day with Tracey at Nine Acres

My dear friend, Lisa, asked for people to volunteer to guest post on her blog. In a moment of insanity, I thought, "I could do that!" and volunteered. Only, I wasn't sure what to post so that I didn't disappoint and totally screw up her blog and make all of her readers run screaming in the opposite direction and never come back. After a couple of emails back and forth, Lisa finally took pity on me and told me she would like me to post about the area in which I live. Or my favorite hobby. Or photography. Or something about me and my life.

*sigh*

Thanks for narrowing it down for me, Lisa!

So, I decided to tell a little about all of those things, at the risk of boring all of you! Please don't blame Lisa, and please don't abandon her for my lack of charisma. Really, it isn't her fault.

My name is Tracey and my blogger home is Nine Acres. It's called that because 4 years ago my husband, two kids, and I uprooted ourselves from our postage stamp sized yard and little house in suburbia to move to an extremely rural spot on the border of Maryland and Pennsylvania. We purchased a house that looks like Cracker Barrel, a tin roof barn, an antique Ford tractor, and nine acres of pasture and woods.


I was petrified. I grew up in the suburbs and that is all I knew. I thought for sure I would be isolated and alone in this place that was near nothing remotely considered convenient. No gas stations, no restaurants, no department stores, no pizza delivery...not even a post office to call our own. Our post office is in the next county over because our town is too small.

The first weeks in my new home I imagined bears, wolves, deer, and fox staring in my windows. I had never really seen the Milky Way because of light pollution. It was ink dark at night and the sound of critters scratching in the leaves and cornfields surrounded me. Night was terrifying! I wanted my street lamps back.

But four years, two horses, two rabbits, three cats, one dog, and four gerbils later, I can't imagine being anywhere else. The suburbs give me a panic attack now because it feels so crowded. I can't breathe with all of the cars, people, and stop lights. I love the few neighbors I have and don't remember life without them. I love the fresh air and the darkness. I love the stars and the harvest moon. I love that my kids can play and hide in the woods or look for crayfish in our stream. I just can't imagine raising them anywhere else.


We are surrounded by beauty. Nature trails, biking trails, historic homes, and wide open spaces give my kids the opportunity to grow and explore like children should.


I also have discovered the love of horses. These majestic and powerful creatures teach me every day the meaning of grace and beauty. And I don't mind watching my husband ride either. There is something about a man and his horse!


As my love for the country began to grow, so did my love of photography. I am happy to say that I now can combine my two passions in life, photography and teaching, into a career. I teach photography classes, both online and in person. It is so fulfilling to teach others the joy and artistry of photography.

My other love is blogging. I have developed such close friendships with so many women (like Lisa) around the country and the world who have the same interests, worries, joys, and turmoils that I have. What a joy it is connecting with like-minded people from around the globe. Thank you, Lisa for letting me spend the day here with you and your blogger friends. It was a pleasure and and honor to hang in your territory for the day.

Hope I didn't disappoint!

All my love,

~I can not be separated from that or you~