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Published: August 28th 2018
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In our little corner of North Carolina, there are many local farms that love to host seasonal events. From chicken stews in the autumn air to strawberry pickings during the late spring, you don’t have to drive too far to find plenty of things to do outside with the family. That is one of the main reasons why we decided to come back to our rural hometown after graduating from college in our state’s capital city. We love the small-town roots that this community has, many of which were planted and cultivated by our local farmers.
About 45 minutes away from our home there is a community known as Belews Creek, North Carolina. I had heard about a local farm, Dogwood Farms, in the area that had a great big field of sunflowers in the very back for anyone to visit. Of course, this was a professional photographer’s dream and if you wanted a portrait made, there was a sitting fee. However, if you just wanted to bring the kids and enjoy a day out in the August sunshine, admission was only $2. You could also cut your own sunflower stem for an additional $1 each.
My best friend Megan and I decided to take our collective four kids to visit the farm last week. We had high hopes of using our smartphones to get some great pictures even if we weren’t meeting a photographer there. So, we all dressed up in our Sunday best, met at my house, and followed each other the almost one-hour drive south to Dogwood Farms. When we got there, the first thing I noticed was there was no paved access. The parking lot was simply the front field and unfortunately, it had rained a great deal the week before so it was a little muddy, at no fault of the owner. Nonetheless, we parked, tried to keep the kids as close to the grassy, clean areas as possible, paid the fees and headed to the back.
A country girl at heart, I was absolutely blown away at how gorgeous the back of the property was. It was as though we had stepped into the Land of Oz or something in an entirely different dimension. For as far as our eyes could see, there was nothing but rolling hills planted with row after
beautiful row of tall, proud sunflowers. A small tractor trail meandered throughout the fields so we were able to walk within the rows.
We did just that, and for about five minutes, our crew was cooperative. Everyone was all smiles, in a great mood, and ready to pose for pictures. That was a great thing, because soon thereafter, the August sun began to glare down, there was no shade to be found at all, and everyone began melting down. Still, we hadn’t driven all this way and paid money just to turn around now! We asked our children to please cooperate and for the most part, they did. We were able to snag some precious shots that I will cherish forever.
However, none of us remembered that it was a very long and very hot walk all the way back to our cars, which were both parked at the top of the property. When you’re traveling with four kids all under the age of five, it is always smart to bring along a stroller in case someone gets tired of walking. For all our preparation for this journey, neither of
us brought that sanity-saving resource along! Instead, about three steps into the trek back, all four kids decided to plop down and just sit in the mud, complaining that their legs were tired and they were too exhausted to take even one more step.
Without thinking, I picked up my son and put him on my hip, then encouraged my daughter to walk as quickly as she could alongside me. As I did so, his muddy church shoes slung dirt all over my favorite vintage dress. I’ve tried to wash it four times now and the stains have set in too deeply to repair. Once we did arrive back at our cars, we were all a little rough-looking and no one felt like saying too much, but I hugged my friend and we smiled, knowing that above all else, we had created a memory.
In the spring, this same farm plants an entire back field full of tulips. Though we haven’t been yet, I’ve seen pictures of the place all decked out in April and it reminds me of one of my favorite international trips I took to Sweden back when we
first got married. We rented bikes and rode through field after field of tulips until I was so enamored with the place I just about had my
car shipped there on the spot so I could always be around such beauty! If Dogwood Farms in the springtime is anything like those sights, at least I know there’s an obtainable view practically in my backyard and I don’t have to travel all the way around the world to experience it again. So we will go back when the tulips bloom. This time around, we will pack strollers, bring a change of clothes, and not have such unreachable expectations. At the end of the day, it was an afternoon spent with my favorite people, surrounded by natural beauty as far as the eye could see.
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