Monday, October 10, 2011

Because It's the Law

A visit to Johansen's pumpkin farm is a rite of passage for anyone under the age of 10 living in DuPage County. In fact, I believe it is a law that one must plunk down one's cash for the honor of feeding the goats, killing holding baby chicks, imitating roosters and searching for hand sanitizer.

It's just what we do around here. Keeps our minds off what we really want to do at summer's end, which is to keen and wail in the knowledge that winter's inexorable fury is bearing down.

Johansen's has gotten very fancy since we took our children here. Inflatables, a corn maze, bounce houses and miniature horses are new on the farm menu. 

Our little guy was momentarily interested in the animals.

But, since goats don't have wheels and tractors do, this got his attention.


His quad great-grandfather farmed in Southern Illinois before the Civil War, which is clearly why he looks at home behind the wheel. (And it would not surprise me a bit to find one of these machines moldering in an outbuilding on the property today. Nothing was ever thrown out.)


Meanwhile, blue eyes enjoyed the shade of the tent and puzzled over that black cylinder being waved in her face.

What do you remember when you were 2 and a half years old?

Even better, what is your earliest memory?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

My earliest memory is waking up from a nap one summer afternoon as a toddler and walking out into the back yard to find my mother who was hanging clothes. Only problem with that is I was barefooted as I walked through a clover patch stepping on a bee. What a way to wake up!

Cuzzin Carolyn

Sharon said...

I remember sitting under our dining room table pretending to read to our Dalmatian , Flash.

Kathy and Freddy said...

I was in an elevator at Kidston House, which still stands at Rush Medical, and all I could see was legs, and couldn't find my mother....I must have eventually, though