A (Very) Quick Trip To The Pumpkin Patch

Ellie and I drove down to Agua Linda Farm yesterday for their annual pumpkin festival. I had this vision in my head of taking Ellie to the pumpkin patch, meandering through the rows of pumpkin vines, spotting the perfect gourd, and heading home with a pumpkin ready for Halloween carving. It wasn't quite that idyllic, but we had a pretty good time. In retrospect, it would probably have been better to wait until next year when Ellie can walk, her schedule is somewhat more flexible and, of course, Brian's here -- but I do love sharing these "first" experiences with her, even if it's just the two of us.

Ellie took a great afternoon nap, so we actually got to the farm about an hour before they closed for the day and most people were on their way out. To Ellie's credit, she did awesome on the 50-minute drive to and from the farm. It was extremely dusty, something I didn't anticipate, but I had enough forethought to wear tennis shoes instead of sandals, which turned out to be a very smart decision. We wandered around for a bit and looked at the ponies, chickens and farm dogs before deciding it was time to eat. I ordered a hot dog (not the most organic dinner choice I know, but I was going for something fast), and by the time we finished, I realized we would have just enough time for a quick look at the ready-picked pumpkins and a few pictures before hitting the road to make it home before bedtime. We couldn't find a pumpkin I liked could carry to the car while pushing the stroller, so I figured I could at least get a picture of Ellie with the pumpkins. That didn't work out so well either -- the hay from the hay bales kept poking Ellie in the legs and the situation devolved into tears. Poor thing.

Then I got creative with the pictures (if you look close, you can see my hand holding Ellie).

Not bad if you ask me!

I am glad we made the trip and Ellie was able to have this classic fall experience, but I truly look forward to next year when Brian will be home and we can all wander through the pumpkin patch together. :)