Pumpkin Patch
This is my very own Halloween postcard. I know. I know. Halloween is about ghosts and ghoulies and witches. Yes, we must have witches. And skeletons. It’s all the same, really. You say tomato. I say Charlie Brown.
Cambell’s first Halloween season started with a day trip to a reasonably local pumpkin patch. Some friends led us to a farm with a host of activities. Among them, a corn maze, bees hives, a small store, and, of course, a little patch of land filled with orange vegetables springing from the ground.
A little fenced in petting zoo was our first stop. Cambell fearlessly grasped at the goats and sheep within. Daddy shadowed the little one, hoping that those little fingers wouldn’t be mistaken for feed. Shew. You still have 10? Let’s move on.
The pumpkin patch was a treat. A bumpy hayride took you to the field. Get out and pick your poison. We did so, and took an opportunity to shoot some glamour shots along the way. It was a neat way to choose a pumpkin for Halloween. It’s not like I grew it myself but ripping it from the earth felt a whole lot more seasonal that picking one up from Giant. Too bad my poor little pumpkin didn’t like its rainy stay in front of the house. It belched its filthy contents on my front doorstep. Eww.
On Sunday, we continued the family theme and went to Lake Waterford park. The park is only a couple of miles from our house. The wife and I have been there several times, normally stopping at the local convenience store to pick up some bread for the many geese and ducks that crowd the waters of the lake. Not so long ago, the wife and I made a not-so-secret discovery. Far in the back, the park houses a playground. This playground isn’t just any old playground either.
I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s obviously quite new. Plastic walls and spongy floors replace the rusty rails and dirt trampings of my youth. Swings for all sizes – toddler on up – guide you in. A play area filled with things to climb on, slide over, and fiddle with would have any child jumping for joy. The thing is huge. 10 kids couldn’t crowd this place. — heck, neither could 50.
It’s the kind of place you desperately want to share but don’t want anyone to know about. There’s this really, really cool thing, but, shhh, don’t tell anyone. We want it for ourselves. On Sunday, some close friends and their not quite two year old daughter were let in on the “secret”. She and her parents alike kept very busy.
For a kid, I couldn’t help but think this playground would be paradise. As a parent, it’s a Godsend. In a year, we can let Cambell loose in here. I have no doubt he will have a blast. As it stands, his laughter in the swing indicates that he’s enjoying it just fine right now.
On Monday, my family activities were far from over. A friend of mine and I found ourselves in similar positions. Our wives were working. We both had the day off and a little kid to watch. We decided to take a trip and a hike. The destination was Cunningham Falls. A picuturesque hike to the falls found Cambell asleep in his backpack. At least Daddy got some exercise.
All in all, it was a great kickoff to October. The leaves are changing and soon I’ll be spending less time mowing and more time with the leaf blower. I can feel fall settling in. C’mon leaves. Come on down. You now have permission.