Autumn

I just love autumn. I used to think summer was my favorite season, which it would be if I lived on or near a beach, but since I live in ohio fall is really what does it for me. There is really no point in such a hot time of year if there isn't a beach close by. And so many of my fondest memories are from fall. There's the changing leaves, football games, chili, wassal, pumpkin pickin' and pumpkin carvin'. The crisp air calls for cozy sweaters and jeans around campfires.

One thing I distinctly loved as a child was going to circle S pumpkin farm. We would eat yummy donuts and drink hot cider and spend what seemed like hours frolicking in the massive hay barn. There were always goats to pet and feed. And of course there was the hay ride out to "the patch" to pick your very own pumpkin. All of us always picked the biggest one we could possibly carry so that by the time we reached the end Dad had to help us manage our giant pumpkins. The event was always followed by carving and eating toasted pumpkin seeds. The whole experience was so magical.

This year I tried to recreate this favorite childhood memory. Jess, Lindsay and I set off to pick pumpkins at the pumpkin farm. I'm not sure if it was just because I am now a 25 year old adult or because it wasn't circle S farm but the experience was disappointing to say the least. The farm was not at all impressive, no hay barn or goats, nothing but an over priced store and a few concessions selling fair food! Can you believe that, at a farm! So we quickly bought our tickets to go "pick" our pumpkin. So we set of towards the "patch." We passed several good size patches along the way and I thought to myself there must be a more well stocked one further out. But oh no, we passed all the real patches and circled around coming to a stop in-front of a small grassy area with a pile of pre-picked pumpkins, not a single one bigger than an acorn squash. I was so disappointed, we climbed out and quickly chose one of the tiny pre-picked pumpkins, crushed that this experience in no way resembled the amazing times I recall having as a child at the pumpkin farm.

I will however still cling to those memories and maybe one day recreate that fun time I remember with my own kids!

picture: the not so glorious "pumpkin patch"