This is Indiana

Jess and her new husband Mike came out from NYC to visit over Labor Day weekend. Jess hadn't been here in a while and Mike never had, and being that it's such a quick flight...why not! Jess had requested that we give Mike the full Indiana treatment.

You know, the farm, the country, the guns, the food.

The crazy kids.

We met Mom and Dad down in Hayden for chicken at their firehouse, an old car show and a tour of the Hayden historical museum. This is big time small town living.

Mom has been a teacher at Hayden Elem for like 70 years. Okay maybe more like 40. Either way, she's kind of a big deal. Between her and Dad I think Mike soon realized we weren't joking when we said they knew everyone in the whole town.
 

Firehouse chicken is the best kind of chicken. Charley agrees. If only it weren't 100 degrees that day.

Jess took this pic and posted it on Facebook. Apparently this scene screams 'we aren't in New York anymore!'. Actually it's a pretty good indication that we aren't in the suburbs of Indianapolis either. This is rural Indiana living, how I grew up. My 'boyfriend' from 5th grade was even driving one of the tractors.

Sadly the marksmen didn't have much time to shoot between waiting for it to cool down and the start of some rain showers. Just an excuse for them to come back again.

I was sick with a cold about half the weekend but our guests didn't seem to mind a slow pace which included napping, tv watching and playing Rockband.

 We had been down to the farm just the weekend before that to celebrate nephew Mark's 10th birthday, so here are a couple of bonus pictures.

This picture really makes me want to move out of the burbs. Oh to have a campfire pit in my backyard.