the farm in february

on wednesday, we took a little drive to the farm at agritopia for their farmstand and food trucks evening. a couple of weeks ago, we realized it had been far too long since our last farm excursion as a family. so, i decided to get strategic. there is a new-ish food truck in town that is on a monthly rotation at agritopia so i creepily social media stalked them to determine when they would be there next. we settled on this week and penciled it in.

as much as i am a little bitter about the insane lack of winter around here lately, i also really love that elinor and i could throw on shorts and long-sleeved shirts (and ben, his jeans and a t-shirt) and comfortably enjoy some outdoor time in mid-february. the weather was incredible. a scattering of clouds and a cool breeze and sunshine. i ordered a vegan cheese crisp (with farm fresh veggies and homemade hoisin for dipping) and a bunless lentil burger from the uprooted kitchen and ben made his way to the united steaks of cheese food truck to order up a chicken cheesesteak, his long-awaited treat. we have been teased by their creations on instagram for the last few weeks since they opened and FINALLY got to snag one and dig in. we all agreed that it was worth the wait. i gobbled up my cheese crisp and elinor ate her burger and ben savored every bite of his cheesesteak. we all swapped bites to make sure everyone got a taste of all the goodness.

as we got to the final bites of our meal and wrapped up our conversation, the breeze picked up and the clouds rolled in just in time for the sun to begin its descent. our desert sunsets are magical but there is nothing better than some clouds in the sky to catch and filter the rays of light and various hues. total cotton candy sky.

we took the long way back to the car and strolled the grounds. elinor treated us to some impromptu dance parties along the way and we marveled at the beauty and serenity of the farm. there were neighbors gathered tending to their plots in the community garden. people waved hello as we passed by. it was quiet with the perfect hum of outdoors around us.

for as far as we could see, there were rows and rows of green goodness. kale and lettuce and herbs and bounty. what a lovely time of year to roam around the farm. and truly, it was a fitting way to kick off the lenten season. slowing down. enjoying the simple things. renewing our focus. being quiet. enjoying family. calmness and beauty. taking time to get away from distractions. to walk and talk and laugh and reminisce and plan and be grateful.