Visiting friends

Last Thursday, we drove up to visit friends from grad school and their two boys. It was very enjoyable to catch up with them. I had such a good time visiting that I didn't take enough pictures. Fortunately, Gwen planned a trip to the Brookfield Zoo that afforded some opportunities...

Owen and Alex had a wonderful time playing with Gwen and Curt's boys. The boys would run off to play together pretty constantly and it made me think that the whole kibbutz philosophy has a lot to recommend it.

On the way back, we stopped by the Battle of Tippecanoe memorial outside Lafayette, Indiana. I had read about it on Wikipedia the night before and became an insufferable tour guide with details about the battle.

As you can see below, our boys took the battle very seriously. Owen may have a future as a professional re-enactor.

Down the road from the memorial was Prophetstown State Park, which had a 1920s working farm. The house pictured below came from a Sears and Roebuck catalog.

Visitors can tour the first floor of the house, which had period technologies such as the telephone you see below and a flour-grinder that the boys loved to operate.

The boys found a ... hmm ... what is that exactly? A wooden plow-like farming thing that had fallen into disrepair. After locating the toolshed, they got right to work fixing it up.

The farm was beautiful and it was a perfect day to enjoy being outside.

I think the boys' favorite part was feeding the pigs some grass. Those were some happy pigs. I kept thinking how it's a shame that farming isn't like this anymore.