Share with others

14 September 2007

"Field" Trip

This afternoon we made our annual pilgrimage to the meat locker in Hancock, Iowa, to pick up our 1/4 share of a cow. 1/4 cow in beef, that is- all kinds of cuts, burger to steak. Family farm-raised, corn-fed beef. Tasty meat that will last us the year.

Hancock is a nice little town- with what has become one of our favorite parks. This year, we were given a tip to look for buffalo. We snuck over to a fence and spied elk and buffalo in the distance, though we weren't too stealthy, as the butcher we had just picked up the beef from drove by and asked us if we were looking for more meat. HA! Butcher humor! :-). And, my J son was correct in guessing, it was actually bison. Who would think, that right there in Hancock, IA, population 201, we would find Botna Bend Park, a local wildlife refuge of sorts.
The fields are beautiful at this time of year. So many shades of gold and green, as the corn and soy near harvest. We saw some farms with equipment already out. Lots of birds, and plenty of cows, pigs, and horses along the way, as well.

We made a stop to surprise a friend along the way, but she wasn't home- that's what we get for not calling ahead, but I bet she was surprised to see our note! And, I was able to maintain control of the music selections while driving, despite occassional grumbles from the crowd. A good afternoon outing, all in all.
Have to include a few shots of the playground:


Spinning on the merry-go-round, a mighty success with no scraped knees!









HA! Look at K, so tall now that she does a handstand rather than hang off the monkey bars! :-)










A group pic on the teeter-totters. Big victory! L conquers her fear of UP on the teeter-totter! But, she'll still only ride with her trust-worthy twin...


A good day and a good outing in the Heartland. :-)

2 comments:

sperlonga said...

Love that cornfield photo! Isn't it glorious?? Clear blue sky, golden corn--the colors of heaven! Will said my Flickr looks like a tribute to the great American Midwest!

C and J said...

Oh, my goodness, we will miss this beautiful Heartland scenery, AND its good beef, which you certainly have! YUMMY! And, we have discovered the Heartland people to be among the most generous,warm, welcoming, and thoughtful of all the people we have met through our wanderings! Many thank you's for leading us here to savor the experience, as well as to thoroughly enjoy all of your love and company! This will always be a home for us! We love Omaha! We also love all of you so much!