Saturday - A Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Okay, I slipped this first picture in. It's the hot chiles I pickled for John. He loves very hot foods.

We arrived at the pumpkin patch around noon. This is out on land owned by a local family who have a diary farm. They do this each year for the community. The money they make selling the pumpkins and what they charge to go through the cornstalk maze and take a hayride all goes to do it again next year. This is a delightful family and we enjoy seeing each year. This is the first year our grandchildren were here to go with us so it was even more enjoyable.

The first thing done was John took Justin and Jacob through the cornstalk maze. It was a very windy day so it made walking through even more eery. There was 28 acres of corn.

This was a maze made with bales of hay for the younger children.

A small view of what they do out there.

This is where you pay, and they also have tons of homegrown gourds and cornstalks you can buy. I get both each year as well as pumpkins for our front yard.

Jen picking her pumpkin

Justin hunting for the perfect pumpkin to carve.

Jen and her family helping John find the pumpkin he wants to carve. I'm sorry I didn't get a picture of it -- it was huge!

Justin was 4 1/2 feet tall. It won't be long before he is taller than me. (Okay, so just about everyone on the planet is taller than me!)

Justin, John, Jacob and Jen.

Jacob, Justin and Jen.

Justin. He isn't a little boy anymore. He is a young man. It blows me away.

Justin and Grandad.

David and I.
Loading the van with our goods.

This was my little red wagon full of goodies. We had such a fun time! Afterwards the guys went home in the van, and Jen and I took Jacob and went to Michael's and Target to pick up some crafting items. We hung around the house the rest of the afternoon talking and snacking on specialty cheeses I had gotten, wine jelly, garlic and Paremsan cheese stuffed olives, red onion wedges in red wine vinegar, John's famous Guac, Acme Herb Slab and crackers. Justin played in the hot tub ([pcitures of that soon) and we enjoyed the garden a bit, though it was windy. MUCH later for dinner I roasted a turkey breast and made mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy and spinach salad with dried cranberries, gorgonzola, toasted walnuts and raspberry-walnut vinaigrette.

This morning we visited more, and I made everyone eggs in a basket. It was a request of Jen's. Her Grandpa (my Dad) used to make them for the kids when they were younger for breakfast as a treat. They loved them. I hadn't made them in a long time, so it was fun and tasty for all of us. As always it was hard to see them go today, however it was such a wonderful time spent together.