Sunflower Field

Within a mile of our house are three sunflower fields but they are on a two lane road with no shoulder which makes it a little dangerous to try and stop and take some pictures. One field is next to a house with a long drive that went to both that house and another house farther back. Dennis and I stopped Friday night and I rang the doorbell of the closest house but no one answered. There was a sign as you drove in that said "Hancock" and the address. I looked it up on the internet and it was Bill Hancock's house - he went to my high school but was two years older. I called the house and left my number and his wife called back on Saturday. She said they lived in the house farther back but the people in the other house were gone and she was sure they wouldn't mind us coming and taking pictures.

So Monday morning about 8 am we take three cars over to the long drive and drove back behind the house near the barn as Bill's wife had suggested. This way we could just walk a short distance behind the house to the field and set up. I led the way and when I got out James and Jimmy both stayed in their own cars and rolled their windows down and said "are you sure this is alright?" I said, oh sure she said they weren't home but of course if they came home come out with a shotgun then we might worry. So we took the kids over and started taking pictures. After about 15 minutes I happened to look over at the back of the house and here is a man with no shirt, sitting on his patio with a cup of coffee. I right quick went up towards the patio apologizing and he waved his hand and said "you're alright - happens all the time" I told him I had called the Hancocks and they said it was ok and he was so nice - said he loved that field and is was just fine that we were there. I told him that I was concerned that someone might come out with a shotgun and he got a big laugh from that.

Love the friendly country folk around here. :)