Knee High By The Fourth Of July

Thomas was skeptical of our plans to take advantage of Jared's day off and journey to Miss Effie's Flower Farm. "Will there be other children there?" he queried. "Are there things to play on?" My answers were noncommittal and vague because I was pretty confident that there would be no play ground equipment cluttering up Miss Effie's farm, and, as for children, well, I did not know. As we drove out of Davenport and exited off Highway 61 to our adventure, a mere twenty-five minutes away, Jared and I marveled at how near the country is to us city folk. Pretty quickly, paved roads transformed into graveled passageways scattering dust behind the vehicles treading upon their surface. Neatly manicured yards opened up into vast stretches of lush green land sprawling with corn stalks. As we finally pulled into our destination, we were greeted by a sign promising farm fresh eggs, an antiquated shabby-chic farm house, and sundry lilies hued in magnificent oranges, vibrant yellows, deep crimsons, and delicate pinks.

As we stumbled out of the van, banana chips caked onto tiny bottoms, Miss Effie, clad in a straw hat, exactly the kind one would venture a woman operating a flower farm might don, warmly welcomed our family to her home. From a garden shed, she emerged with a newborn kitten, eyes still unopened. All the boys were enthralled. We were also introduced to Miss Effie's unique collection of chickens; one of which she found on Craig's List for free. With names like Cindy Lou Who, Liz Taylor, and Cruella De Vil, these birds were unlike any fowl I had ever seen. And though initially a bit hesitant, the boys ultimately delighted in touching the fluffy feathers of the birds as a rooster crowed in the background.

Upon collecting our bucket of flowers, expertly shorn by Thomas, and a short diversion of watching him roll multiple times down a small hill, the five of us gathered under a tree bearing a swing, which the boys took full advantage of, and picnicked on yogurt, leftover cold pizza, and more banana chips. Before our departure, we purchased a dozen of the promised farm fresh eggs, whose colors mirrored the diversity of the creatures from which they came - they were beautiful. (Thomas was especially fond of the blue egg.) With a hug from Miss Effie, we assured her we would be back, and as we drove off Thomas related, upon being questioned by his father whether he was the city mouse or the country mouse, that he was more of a country mouse and that his time at Miss Effie's Farm had been "more fun than he had expected." Thank you Miss Effie. We enjoyed a lovely day and look forward to our return!