09/13/2007

The indication that we had a successful trip: one tired boy! We spent today at Old McDonald's Farm. On the way home, Nathan was SO exhausted that he slept. Plan A for today had involved meeting Sabrina, Jackson, and Karis at a place called the Oil Ranch. Unfortunately, the Oil Ranch is not open on weekdays, so we had to settle for a trip without the cousins. Another time, OK guys? Still, Grandpa, Grandma, Nathan, Nick and I had a wonderful time at Old McDonald's. (Nia just slept, so I won't carry on about how much fun she had!)


One of my favorite things about Old McDonald's was that they had LOTS of deer...tame, friendly deer...roaming the property. The picture above is Mom petting one. We had a brief discussion about how it seems the only part of the deer that we ever see is their backside. You know, we see them as they are hightailing it across the freeway and into the woods. (Maybe you get a closer look when you run into them--do you, Dad?) Anyway, it was really fun to be so close to them. Nathan thought they were horses. "Deer" we would say, in an attempt to correct him. Without flinching he would respond, "Deer Horsey!" Oh, well!

Here is Nathan greeting the deer with Daddy at the very beginning of our trip. He grew more fond of them as time went on. At first I think they were a bit intimidating. By the end, Nathan was probably quite an irritation to the deer on the premises.

Then we met a real 'horsey.' Well, at least we met a closer relative to the horse than the deer were. This is Trudy, the resident pony. She is so docile that parents are welcome to just walk into her pen and plop their children on her for a ride. We soon found out why. It takes a good slap to the rear end in combination with a forceful pull on her reign to inspire even the slightest budge. Nathan wasn't too sure about being on the pony. I stopped taking pictures of the crying boy and got on the pony myself to show Nathan that it was alright. After a bit of solo riding, Nathan joined me and had a much better experience.
I thought that this sign, posted on the Llama pen, was darling. Risking (apparently) getting spat on, I ventured right up to the pen to get pictures of the sign and the llama. Nathan thought the Llamas were horses, too. I guess I see where he's coming from. There are some similarities.
Oh, the llama himself. This picture didn't turn out to fabulously, so I won't submit it to National Geographic. Still, you can tell it is a llama, right?
And here is Grandma holding baby Nia. Grandma had baby duty while Nick, Nathan and I ventured into a barn full of hay. The hay was spread all over the floor and was designed for playing in. Nick thought it was great fun. I thought it was a great idea. Nathan thought it was a great bore.
A tribute to my mom: look at this beautiful cow! Just so no one gets the wrong idea, my Mom was raised on a dairy farm, so cows are part of her history. Actually, it's a joke to call this picture a tribute. My Mom has never liked cows in the least.

Here are the boys. I just thought it was cute looking at all of them together!
Old McDonald also had a HUGE sand pile for playing in. Nathan played in the sandbox for a long time. Nick played with him for a while and then I took over. He enjoyed flinging the sand through the air.
Nathan peeks into one of the many pens on the farm. They had everything from sheep and pigs to a wallaby on display. It was sort of a miniature, interactive zoo. Most of the time Nathan was content to view the animals from behind the fence.
And, in true Jones' style, we rode a small train ride around the farm today. Here are my boys getting all ready for the excursion. Although this is the last picture, we actually rode the train first today. It was a good way to get our bearings and to see all the farm had to offer. What a wonderful day we shared! Thanks, farmer McD!