“Remoted – Hybrid” – Day 896 (Sunday) – farm fresh

Atop the rock crop.

Mom saw a sunflower festival listed in a regional events guide, so we took a ride to check it out. It was at an apple farm with pick your own blueberries, apples, and sunflowers. 

A duet played music and sang on a little stage in a shady picnic grove. The barn store had baked goods, cider, fudge, popcorn, and gift items. Another building had beer and a country BBQ menu. 

There was a handful of arts and craft vendors across from an outdoor wood fire pizza grill. A large pen contained several goats lounging in the shade and posing atop large rocks. Surprisingly, the the goats didn't smell that ripe and goat-y, but it was still a bit early in the day's heat.

I had seen many recent photos posted by Facebook friends that showed their children in towering fields clutching armloads of sunflowers with blooms as large as their beaming cherubic faces and perfectly manicured adult hands clutched bouquets that seemed to explode. I was a little excited to experience the majesty of being swallowed by a field of sunny blooms. 

The thing that seemed a bit scarce at the so-called sunflower festival today was sunflowers in the field to which visitors were directed. We walked along a dusty road, beyond a blueberry patch and arrived at a sad-looking garden of tall plants with some small and drought droopy blooms. It was the second weekend of the sunflower festival and based on number of cut and naked stems, it had apparently been a success before our arrival.

One of the remaining
 sunflowers.

As we left the apple farm, the road took us past a larger field of sunflowers which looked a lot fuller and more festive than the garden patch we were sent to for the "festival." Despite the comical and rather sad patch of sunflowers, it was a nice morning to be outside in the country. 

Our next stop was a bakery that sells Finnish and Scandinavian breads and baked goods, books, and gift items. 

For lunch, we "went into town" to the Gardner Ale House. My veggie sweet potato burger was quite tasty, and Mom said her fish tacos were good. 

Spontaneous day trips to a farm are fun. And I need to get my hands on one of those regional event magazines.