A trip to the pumpkin patch

A week ago Sunday we took a family trip to a nearby pumpkin patch and met up with our friends, who also have a budding toddler, there for some fall photographs.  I'd never been to a pumpkin patch before, not that I can remember at least, so I was really excited to check it out and pick out our own pumpkin.  This was also John and Evan's first trip to one as well.

After arriving we drove to a distant field that was littered with bright orange pumpkins, that almost seemed to glow in the late afternoon sun.  This would be a great backdrop for some photos we figured so we pulled over and got out to explore.  Since Evan's walking we figured he could walk around and explore the giant orange "balls" on the ground too.  However, as with most plowed fields I'm guessing, the ground wasn't level and so it was challenging for him to keep steady.  Worse yet was there were thorny plants all over the place so if he fell he could land on one and get poked.  Thus, we decided to let him stand in one open space for a bit, but otherwise decided we needed to go elsewhere.  Meanwhile, John had gone off in search of our perfect pumpkin and he succeeded in that mission!

After we got back to the car to load up and head off to another spot for photos, we realized the soles of our shoes were covered with goat head seeds.  These thumbtack-like pokey things can puncture the inner tube of a bicycle tire, let alone the soles of our shoes.  We were most worried for Evan in his fairly thin and softer-soled shoes that one may have punched through to his skin!  Needless to say, we spent a fair bit of time removing all of these from our shoes and carefully checking the bottom of Evan's feet.  From then on we decided we wouldn't be trouncing through the actual pumpkin patch with Evan.  As we pulled away to head off in search of another photo shoot site, we realized we had left our perfect pumpkin on the ground behind the car, and thus had to quickly reverse it to go back and retrieve our great find.

Our next stop was along the road next to another patch, but we didn't go into it in order to avoid more goatheads and thorny plants.  We either stood or laid a blanket down near the edge of the road for some pictures in a small spot surrounded by pumpkins.  With the evening sun behind us, these photos had a bright back lighting.   After a handful of photos here, we found a stack of hay bales for the next photo site.  Evan started sneezing while we were at the hay, so just in case he was allergic we kept that stop brief.  Thus, after just a quick few shots in the hay, we headed to the exit for some more photos and to pay for our pumpkin and head home.

Evan loved the bin of pumpkins that were just his size!

While I had visions of Evan frolicking in the patch exploring the pumpkins, I learned that I'll just have to wait a few more years for that (and make sure to outfit all of us in thick-soled boots!).  Nonetheless, we now have some great new family photos and we have a beautiful, perfectly-shaped pumpkin on our front stoop.  Now we just need to find time to decorate it for Halloween.

Note: All photos courtesy of Jessica Mackaro Photography