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Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Weekend Morning at the Pumpkin Farm


Thank goodness I wore my retired sneakers, because the mud was a bit squishy in the pumpkin field.

The four of us made last-minute plans to visit the pumpkin farm, as everyone had the morning free. (It's rare when that happens for us. You probably have a similar situation), and the weather for Saturday looked promising, after a rainy Friday. The plan was to walk out the door by 9:00, and we did pretty well, leaving about 9:15. We've been to this farm before and remembered that their prices on treats were kind of high -- a buttered ear of corn on a stick for $3.50 and a cake donut for $1.00. So, en route, we stopped at Fred Meyer and bought a six-pack of Pumpkin-Spice donuts for $2.29 (or 38 cents each), less than half the price of the pumpkin farm donuts. And really, could you get any more appropriate with the donut flavor, than pumpkin for a trip to the pumpkin patch? On top of the donuts, we were each responsible for our own snacks and beverages (cheese, bananas, coffee, milk, or juice).

Admission to the farm was free, but there are a whole slew of activities for a price. You know me, we skipped any activity that had a charge, but we enjoyed the baby animals, looked through the gift shop, ate the free samples, and walked through the pumpkin field (yes, it was muddy), for free. We stopped by the fresh produce stand where my daughters each picked out a mini pumpkin for fall decor for their rooms (75 cents each), and then headed home.

A fun family outing that wasn't too expensive. We kept our costs down by bringing our snacks and beverages from home and buying a box of seasonal donuts from the grocery store. While I could have spent less on the mini pumpkins by buying them at the grocery store, this was an expense that I thought would create a nicer memory-impact, by actually choosing their little pumpkins at the farm. Of course, the cashier asked if we were waiting till later in the month to buy our jack-o-lanterns, and I replied that we grew pumpkins this summer and have them from our own garden. (The farm wanted between $2 and $25, depending on size, for pumpkins!) In past years, I've bought winter squash at this farm, inexpensively. Not so, this year. I'll just wait for a good deal at the grocery store, later in the month.

Morning was definitely the right time to go, as there was plenty of parking and little traffic. And at the far end of the pumpkin field, it felt like we were the only ones there. For someone who dislikes crowds, this was a perfect time to make family memories.

Will you do anything special to create autumn memories with your loved ones this year?

6 comments:

  1. That picture is beautiful! It would make the most lovely background photo on a computer or phone!

    These are the things I miss about leaving our large home with a large property and moving to a smaller home with less property! We grew everything including pumpkins. But the kids aren't around anymore to enjoy any of that since they have their own lives. I don't need the large garden anymore with mostly just the two of us. I think a trip to the pumpkin or apple farm might have to happen!

    Alice

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    1. Hi Alice,
      I agree, that farm was really beautiful. It's nestled up against a wooded hillside, which you can just barely see in the photo, but that was stunning, too. I hope that you and your hubby can make a trip to apple orchards or a pumpkin farm this fall.

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  2. I don't think a fall pumpkin/apple orchard visit in in the cards for us this year, but we have done similar things to your excursion in the past and it's so fun! Like you, we tend to skip the activities with a cost and just pet the animals. Glad you were able to have a fun family day! It does get harder to get everyone's schedule to synchronize, doesn't it?

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    1. Hi Kris,
      One of the many things that I love about these blogs is that I feel less abnormal for not doing the activities which have an additional fee! Petting the animals is a fun activity in itself. I hope that you and your family are enjoying fall, Kris!

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    2. I was smiling about how you went earlier in the morning to avoid crowds. We do that, too! As far as the additional fees .... many times those activities don't really appeal to any of us, anyway. My family isn't into a carnival-type atmosphere, which seems to predominate (in our area, at least) at local pumpkin and apple orchards. I guess we have simple tastes.

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    3. We tend to have simple tastes, too. A picnic at the beach is a preferred way to spend the day for us. Oh yeah, the crowds can get to me, so I minimize my time in crowded places. I don't like driving in traffic, so will run errands/make appointments in the AM hours, when possible. I don't like crowded restaurants on holidays such as Mother's Day. I would rather have lunch on the deck with my family.
      Simple tastes will go far in finding pleasure in this world.

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