Picking Out a Pumpkin and Other Adventures on the Farm

One of the great things about living in the Midwest is that there is no shortage of farms around here.  Even when you live in the “city,” a local farm is just a 20 or so minute drive away. 

We headed out to Irons Fruit Farm today because with Halloween coming, we found ourselves in need of a pumpkin.  Eric’s parents and sister (in town for a wedding), were able to join us too.

Cate posed with some flowers (she now says “cheese” when you take her picture). And yes, she is wearing the same outfit she wore last Sunday...but in my defense, it's a Halloween outfit and I want to get the most mileage out of it this month.

Then she spent some time looking at the animals since this is a real farm and all. 

Cate seriously has no fear and she stuck her hand right in there with a pig…

…and a sheep. 

 She also fearlessly climbed all over the pumpkins. 

They have a hayride you can take out to the pumpkin patch and apple orchard, but the line was too long and Kristin had to catch a flight back to Maine.  Besides, there were plenty of good pumpkins to choose from.  Cate found one…

 …but decided it was too heavy.  We’re going to have to make sure she gets a little one next time we go to the grocery store. 

While at the farm, Cate got her first bee sting.  The good news?  She showed no reaction (medically speaking), so we know she’s not allergic.  The funny news?  She went around saying “mean bee” for the rest of the afternoon and the entire car ride home.   We eased the pain of the bee sting with a cookie (thanks Aunt Kristin).

 Taking a couple of slides on the swingset helped her heal too.

We took a family picture before heading back home with our pumpkin and bag of apples (I couldn’t resist a bag of fresh Red Delicious apples, grown right there). 

I think our pumpkin is happy on our porch in the late afternoon sun, don’t you? 

 Too bad he doesn’t realize the fate that awaits him in the near future!

~Melody :-)

P.S.  Click here to see how much Cate has changed since last year's trip to a pumpkin patch.