The Farm and the Flat

  

  A pleasant trip to the farm ended with Layla’s first lesson in changing a tire.
  The two events were unrelated, according to Court he needed new tires anyway so no need to assume anywhere we visited on this day was ridden with tire puncturing debris.
  On the other hand, Fort Collins is filled to the brim with parks and open spaces. After nine years of living here I know we have only scratched the surface and I am continually surprised by what is tucked inside the nooks and crannies of this town.
  For instance Lee Martinez Farm. It’s actually a city funded park right in the middle of town- on Sherwood Street on the northwest end of old town. I hadn’t heard about it until- in the same week- my pediatrician told me to check it out and a letter arrived from the farm indicating her uncles back home had bought us a family pass to the farm for Layla’s birthday.
  On a Sunday we both had off work we decided to find the mysterious farm everyone knows about but us.
                       

 And sure enough, this city farm had all the familiar characters one would expect- chickens, cows, turkeys, sheep, goats, horses and even a silo. It has a stroller friendly pathway leading you from one fenced in home to the next and Layla had fun checking out each pin and the creatures inside. She wasn’t too excited to pet them, which was fine by me, the sheep seemed a little disgruntled.
  It’s a not a place you’d spend an entire day but it was a pleasant hour or so, and Layla talked about it for days afterwards, naming all the friends she met and repeating all the sounds they make. It had multiple areas for a self guided learning experience as well as a gift shop and a picnic area with a tractor very popular by its young visitors.
We worked up an appetite at the farm and headed to Restaurant 415 afterwards, a place we'd heard was good  and known for their use of local ingredients. We ordered a few small plates to share, all were delicious especially the mac ‘n’ cheese. After our tasty meal, we discovered the flat.
In true Colorado style, the weather was perfect. This could have a been a miserable experience, but it was 65 degrees and sunny in the middle of November- although I hear even Illinois has us beat with highs in the 70's this week. But if you must change a tire this was more than ideal, great weather and in a parking lot. Court changed the flat, Layla and I played with leaves and rocks, all ended well, and Layla held her first tire iron.
For more info on Lee Martinez Farm visit www.fcgov.com/recreation/thefarm.php