“Brother she's country, from her cowboy boots to her down home roots . . .”

– sung by Jason Aldean, from his 2009 album “Wide Open” recorded on Broken Bow Records, an independent label.

Someone told me over the holidays that Connecticut is not country. I beg to differ.

Having lived in the deep South, mid-Atlantic, Blue Ridge Mountains and Tidewater Virginia to southern Maryland, upstate New York and the marvelous backwoods of the panhandle in Florida, country is more in how people choose to live. (Though I must admit in some places there's much more room to roam and fewer people.)

However, whichever state is home, I can find country folks. A few observations of what makes that so:

They know that for some reason kids love animals and tractor rides, dirt piles and hay lofts.

Know the difference between the tastes of farm-raised beef, deer tenderloin, or fresh mountain trout broiled with lemon – and that nothing store-bought can compare to any of them.

Growing things well takes love, work and attention.

Know that there is no electronic device or “thing” that can be bought that equals a good dog curled up next to a child for comfort.

And that heaven is time spent on a good horse with a dirt road ahead, open fields to the right and left . . . and a beloved dog at your heels. No vehicle invented can compete with exploring on horseback with a sidekick.

That being said, a Jeep (if driven by a good driver) can take a person to sweet places that most humans will never see. This includes fire towers, rocky mountain roads, old quarries or hidden places on rivers.

A mud room is a practical entry for a home and a good place to catch boots, mud, snow, leashes, and tools.

Chopping and filling a wood box is enormously satisfying. “Cozy” is seeing a cat or dog (or both) curled up and snoozing by a toasty stove. And a quilt.

There is no fence that will hold all livestock or dogs 100 percent of the time. A smart horse can literally walk through a fence; a determined dog will always find a way out. Deer get tangled in wire and can take a electric fence down. Livestock know when the power goes out. Vigilance is the only method to keep animals penned. (Or catch them quickly if and when they get loose.)

A lot of grief can be avoided by regular feeding times, good nutrition, paying attention and preventative care – with livestock and with children.

Fresh eggs, fresh milk, home-grown tomatoes taste best. Ditto for hand-cranked ice cream made with fresh cream.

Having the choice between a clothes dryer and a clothesline; the latter means the scent of sunshine and fresh air never duplicated in a chemical scent.

You can't pull down an old hand-pegged frame barn (even if it's leaning and the roof is gone) with a truck and a tow rope.

Never chase horses with a truck; it's easier to catch them up with a scoop of grain rattled in a bucket than to repair the damage to a hayfield from spinning tires and sliding.

Parasites from heartworms to bots, tapeworms and ticks are part of life. They can wreak heart-breaking havoc, learn how to protect your animals.

A good partnership with a veterinarian who has an open mind and will work with you is priceless. Part of that bond is trusting that you know your animal's “normal” behavior best.

People can be incredibly generous with their time and knowledge if you open up and ask their opinion.

Horses smell good.

Quality matters in boots and in saddles. And friends.

You really don't need more stuff. Turn off the blathering onslaught about all you “should” rush out and get. Take time to enjoy what you have.