Corn Maize and Cow Trains

So I am taking a nap, trying to rest my oh so sore throat, when my cell rings. I answer and manage to squeak out a hello. It’s Joe, he tells me, we are going to try and go to the corn maze tonight, wanna come? I thought about it… this corn maze thing has really been quite the little battle to organize, so I say “yeah, let me call Amy and see if she wants to go, I was going to hang out with her tonight.” Joe gives me all the details… we’re meeting at 9pm at Elisha’s, it cost $5, dress warm…. I call Amy, and Amy is down with the whole thing… She is going to call me at 8 to finalize the plan, I realize it is 6:30pm and I still haven’t left the house to go the mall, shoe store, and car lot…*sigh* being sick during fall break really bites!

The Maze is 30 minutes away in a small Missouri town called Verona, so we travel out there. Three vehicles, one with Chad, Sandor, and Emily, another with Joe and Elisha, and finally one with Travis, Amy, and me. We jamm out to old school tunes (fun stuff!) and arrive just in time to the corn maze to hear the guy say “ uh the maze is closed, but your friends are going to get some hot chocolate” We pull in….

I am still so fascinated with the things people do for fun in Missouri. I know I shouldn’t be, I mean I have been here long enough… but it still just astounds me that someone could be so creative as to create a maze out of corn field, and then make it haunted and people spend hours walking through and having a great time… and then OH MY GOSH there is this thing called a “Cow Train” seriously….

I was dumbfounded when I saw it. Essentially it is a four wheeler with a hitch on the hitch they have attached in true choo choo formation about 9 barrels (yes I wrote barrels) that have been cut out, a seat installed and painted white with black cow prints on them. Then they attach a wooden cow head to the front end of each barrel, give the barrel a cute name such as “Bessie” and charge $1 for people to sit in it and take off at 30 miles an hour for 45 seconds…. Some of the people in our little group were sooooo excited to ride this things, I dunno I sometimes wonder how much I miss out on because of rationalization. For instance: here are 4 people in the group ecstatic about fitting there butts in a tight painted barrel in 30 degree weather, so they can have 45 seconds of fun, and when they get off they are all laughing about dust blowing into their mouth, and all over them, having to close your eyes because of the wind, and not being able to breath because of the exhaust from the four wheeler – but ride it cuz it’s fun! I wonder if I miss out because that is what I think, perhaps what I really should be saying is… when will I ever have the opportunity to ride in a barrel the size of my rear end through a field in Verona, Missouri again?

But being Theresa, I did not go, for good reasons.
1) I wasn’t sure my butt would fit!
2) If it didn’t fit how embarrassing would that be?!
3) I am still suffering with a sore throat, maybe dust flying in my face is a bad idea
4) ditto on the exhaust
5) what if the barrels fall over? Would I be satisfied knowing I paid a dollar to get hurt on something called a Cow Train?

So there you go, five very decent reasons why I didn’t go…. Sad part is #5 should really be #1, and yet I was more worried about the size of my butt than getting hurt!

So there was no maze action tonight, but there was hot chocolate, rain, cow trains, a bonfire, and a guy dressed in a costume chasing people around with a chainsaw. I am excited to go again, if for nothing else to watch people ride the Cow Train and sit next to the fire looking at the gorgeous stars and horizon only the country has to offer…. Besides a night outside just would not be the same without Melody there - so this particular adventure, well it's a totally to be continued thing.....