The "Patch"

Ah yes, with fall comes the yearly jaunt to the pumpkin patch. What used to be a nice walk in the crisp fall air through an enormous field of pumpkins has now become a free for all filled with machines, tickets, crying children and the feeling that if you are not careful you may completely lose your mind. My honey, myself and our little person went to The Patch. Corn mazes, train rides and various other activities left me feeling like I had just been thrust into a game show. Do I want Door #1, #2 or #3? We started with feeding the intensely plump little goats with tiny food pellets dispensed from a glass container after inserting a quarter. As I looked around at the faces of the adults it looked as if this were just another obligation that they would be able to scratch off their list.

Lilly was excited. She had never been in the parking lot of a full fledged harvest farm festival thing. She sat with great contentment, looking around at the simple and unremarkable minivans, feeling a bit superior if she did say so herself. She was feeling good after a worn out battery left her lifeless under her little cover in the driveway. She was running like a dream and was not feeling too bad considering her advanced age.

My interest was in the farmer’s market portion of this adventure. Fresh fruits and vegetables, tiny pumpkins and jalapeno jelly. Now there is the deal right there. My mind wandered to Ritz crackers, cream cheese and jalapeno jelly (I think I need a cigarette, man that was good). Okay, back to reality, after an hour or two we were ready to leave this place. No pumpkin. That would actually be purchased at the local grocery store ironically. We got away with a handful of veggies, hopefully grown in the general vicinity and the coveted jelly. Ya gotta love this time in history.