Those Elko Feels

Elko 2
Fall means I think of Elko. A smell, the orange color of the leaves, a vivid memory, or just a fleeting thought ignites a chain reaction of intense longing. It happens every so often and when it does, it nearly cripples me for a brief, cathartic moment.
Elko is a place I had a love-hate relationship with for many years. Now, I just long for it in my bones.

It can’t be explained by one key event or moment. It was a series of moments, feelings, awakenings. It was carried by the electrically charged breeze during a thunderstorm. It was kicked up and then settled, into the cracks and crannies of my brain, like the dirt from the road. It came to me, pungent, in through the window, smelling of wet sagebrush and desert. It was changing oak leaves in the fall. The smell of coffee and wet pavement. It was the green hills in the spring. The thick, silent snowflakes in the winter. It was stillness. Jackrabbits. The moon and the stars. It was fresh, plump grapes. Fried chicken and biscuits. It was peace. Sleep. Renewal. It was far away, twinkling lights, signaling home. It was something, somewhere, everything, always. It was Elko.

90 thoughts on “Those Elko Feels”

  2. That came together rather nicely. Vivid imagery.
    Let me use the opportunity to invite you to the Bloggers brunch that I am hosting over the weekend Saturday – Sunday. I believe it will be fun to mingle with others. The invitation is titled, It’s Brunch Party Time. I will send one out again tomorrow. My regards.

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      2. I really am – in the olden days we ate rabbit in Scotland. My family were farmers so we ate hare, too. If I was brought up here I would probably eat raccoon and possum…. 🙂

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          1. Yes, born in San Francisco, moved to Europe when about 2 years old. Dad abandoned me and Mum and we were stuck at Nana’s in Scotland.

        2. Okay I have to say yuk to the raccoon and possum because I’m such a picky eater. Oddly enough I have never eaten or I can’t even remember when an opportunity might have presented itself to eat rabbit. It’s probably more a case of being fond of bunnies that I couldn’t bring myself to eat one.

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          1. I’m definitely with you on that, Stephanae. I do know that many cultures eat rabbit and other similar type small animals. I think bunnies are way too cute to eat. Also, raccoons are straight evil. I want nothing to do with those things 😱

          6. I think it depends how hungry you are. We lived on the breadline when I was young so most food was welcome. The bunnies were hanging in the butcher’s shops but they were skinned so didn’t look so fluffy. 🙂

          8. My mother force fed me so I have an aversion to quite a number of foods. I think she thought she was doing the right thing but it had the reverse affect on me. I’m sure if I were hungry enough I’d eat just about anything, but gee I sure hope not. If I’d seen bunnies hanging in a butcher’s shop I quite possibly would have felt differently.

          10. I don’t recall those but my grandmother used to eat scrapple, pig’s feet, chitterlings, and all manner of food that I couldn’t get past the way it looked but then she would eat anything.

          16. I wish I had an aversion to weight gain. While I may not be crazy about many foods unfortunately junk food isn’t included in that category and now that I’m older my metabolism is off the charts.

  12. The first thought that came to mind reading this was “quelle belle plume!”, a French saying literally translated as “such a beautiful feather”, refering to a quill, and meaning stunningly beautiful writing… It sounds of home, the kind that is never truly the same when you go back…

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  15. Wow! I just wandered over here on my rounds through funny blog nominations for the Blogger Bash and I gotta say… I really enjoy your prose. This feels like a cozy addition to my blogging routine.

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    1. Thank you ❤️❤️❤️ This is like my one “serious” piece and I’m quite proud of it ☺️☺️.

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  17. Oh, how I crave the low key life we had in Elko. Slow pace, snowy days, and steak sandwiches from The Star. I miss it, surprisingly.

    Beautifully written!

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    1. I miss it a lot and strangely, I couldn’t wait to leave. It’s just one of those beautiful and tragic places you don’t realize you love until you leave ❤️😥

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  19. <3 Home! My blessed, wonderful home! You're always welcome to come back and visit! I even have a guest bedroom 😉 Elko is one of those places that people love to hate… Those who grudgingly move here resent it the entire time. Then, once they have left, realize it really wasn't as bad as they thought it to be. I am lucky enough to be born and raised here. When I moved away to college, I always knew I would come back to Elko. It is my home, my beauty, my peace! Love ya Lady! 🙂

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  20. There’s a Welsh word – hiraeth – that express this special nostalgia and yearning for the lost places of our past, that homesickness for a home you cannot return to. Your text is beautiful written! Strangely, it makes me miss home even more…

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    1. That’s a beautiful word! I’ve heard before that this piece made someone miss home, even though home was very different from Elko, Nevada. Thank you ❤️❤️

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    1. Thanks! It’s a tiny mining town in Northeastern Nevada. It’s not exactly a tourist spot, but it’s special to me. The Rubies are some of the most beautiful mountains I’ve ever seen.

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