The Picnic

Thursday night Fundi and the kids and I and my sister-in-law and her kids went to this picnic. This wasn't just a regular picnic, but a picnic at an organic farm that is owned by a woman (and her husband) that I went to high school and college with. (She was there at the same time I was, but we were never close friends as she was a senior when I was a freshman in both places.) Their farm is amazing. They have a 2 acre garden where they raise more than 80 items. They sell shares of their crop to locals who want to buy locally raised produce that is organic as well. They also raise goats and chickens. Of course Captain enjoyed the animals immensely, but he also enjoyed the pizza as well (He ate the asparagus and tomatoes but refused to eat the cheese and the crust). They have a wood fired stone oven that they cook pizzas in. The pizzas are made from locally grown items and they are very good.
More than that, there was an atmosphere that you just do not find anywhere else. The location is a valley near where I grew up. The valley is green and lush and there are many trees. Down a short gravel road is an old barn and a new house. Behind the house is a swing set and the stone oven and a small barn. In the barn is a kitchen where the pizzas are prepared. The yard is beautifully landscaped and it is a comfortable ambiance. There was a bonfire started and torches that lit the path to the back yard. The yard was well groomed and there were other picnic goers that had brought their own chairs. We had a blanket that we sat on. It was peaceful and the pizza was great. We visited with people we knew and people we didn't know. It wasn't like at a restaurant where people don't talk to anyone that isn't sitting at their own table. People were mingling and kids were running all over, playing on the swingset. My nephew even helped take some pizzas to people that were waiting for them in the yard. They were happy to let a 10 year old with lots of energy call out the customer's names and give them their pizza. We didn't have to worry about picking up crumbs that spilled from our kids' mouths and we didn't have to worry about the soda that my niece spilled in the yard. It was such a peaceful experience and the setting was serene. We will go back for sure.
For more information, please visit:
http://www.smithgardensfarm.com/

Ok, so Captain doesn't like pizza (the crust and the cheese anyway...), he likes the boxes, he loves shoes, and he loves balls. I think he may have been in heaven at this moment.

Did I mention that he loves balls?

Our Beautiful little girl relaxing on the picnic blanket.

Here she is with her cousin.

Captain and Fundi.

Our family.

This is where a person orders the pizza and drinks (only root beer, ginger ale, water, and cream soda). And a chalkboard for the kids to draw on.

Our niece on the slide.

My niece and sister-in-law.