As hens cluck and scratch at the dirt around his feet on Saturday, Feb. 9, art teacher Jerry Howard demonstrates how to collect eggs from a chicken roost in his backyard. Since the second grade, Jerry lived in the rural town of Stilwell.

“You live in the area you grew up in because that’s what you’re used to,” Jerry said.

Jerry’s backyard hosts a variety of animals, including four dogs, 12 chickens and the occasional deer. He also keeps two horses at his parent’s farm down the road. His two children, Megan and Tyler Howard, are the primary caretakers of the animals.

“It can be fun [to have animals], but sometimes taking care of them isn’t fun,” Tyler said.

Along with the animals, Jerry’s family also tends to a large garden in the backyard. The garden includes two apple trees, two peach trees, garlic, squash, tomatoes, peppers and green beans.

“In the summertime we make our own salsa,” Jerry said. “Everything that goes into it comes from [the garden].”

Jerry lived in the suburbs for a short time after getting married, but says he found many drawbacks to living there.

“I lived in Shawnee for 10 months, but 10 months was all I could handle of the street lights and the curbs,” Jerry said. “When you live there, it’s never dark.”

Jerry says that, apart from the solitude that living in the country brings him, he loves being able to expose his kids to the lifestyle and the tradition of living in the country.

“[I like] the uniqueness of [the lifestyle],” Jerry said. “It’s just kind of cool that I can expose my kids to a lifestyle that’s not traditional for southern Johnson County.”

Not even the added responsibilities and daily chores of living in the country has changed Jerry’s love for his lifestyle.

“It’s like drinking coffee,” Jerry said. “If you do it everyday it just becomes a habit.”