A Day on the Farm

We are so lucky to have such a wonderful park like this to go to! Hovander Homestead Park has so much fun stuff to do and see, but the best part is that it is FREE! On a much clearer day, you would see Mt Baker behind this barn.

Kaylee arrived, prepared for any weather:

They have some pretty smarmy animals living here at the park:

The rocks on the ground are pretty interesting too.

These are such gentle goats. This little gal didn't mind Hudson grabbing her eyes and nose as I was trying to get a picture taken.

Still, goats creep me out. What's with their eyes? Thier pupils are horizontal!

Creepy... but cute.

They have a nice little playground there.

So we ate a picnic and then got all dirty in the gravelly playground. At least that is what I am leading you to believe by the order of pictures here. Come on, would I let my kids get terribly dirty and then shove food into their mouths? Not me!

I was happy to have brought the bucket and shovels. Soon a herd of small children flocked around us and we got to share the joy of shoveling rocks with them. It was almost comical how all the kids completely ignored the swings and slide as they dug and poured.

On the way out I walked my kids through the gardens around the homestead house. I've never had the chance to go through the house (which is decked out like a little museum with antique furnishings)

But the gardens were amazing. There are flower gardens, an apple orchard...

vegetable gardens (they're using the square foot gardening technique that I am also doing this summer!)

Believe it or not, they even have a weed garden! This is a "Weed Identification" garden. I've never seen anything like it before!

This park also has trails that lead to Tennant Lake and to a boardwalk that tours some wetlands. There is another house surrounded by a "fragrance garden" (very nice!) and also a few towers to climb up in and get a good view all around.

What a great place to visit!