This morning I played a fundraiser for the Community Food Bank with the Flute Club. I had no instruments (again) so I ended up borrowing 2 different flutes and a piccolo. One of the things I really like about this city is that there is a thriving pool of community musicians. There were several groups donating their time and talents today and that is a wonderful thing to see.
In the afternoon Ara and I were picked up by my family caravan. It took three vehicles to
transport all of us to the Pumpkin Patch Farm. All nine of us! The weather was unseasonable warm 94F made the whole day sort of hazy and dusty and HOT. We browsed the stands of crafts and fruit and I bought Ara a marionette puppet. Then we checked out the petting zoo. It was actually really nice. Each animal was held by it's 4H volunteer and they just seemed like really sweet natured, clean, happy farm friends. Ara was enchanted, she loves animals as much as I do, actually probably more. After the petting zoo part of our group wanted to try the corn field maze. I wasn't excited about the prospect. Last year we wandered aimlessly in there for 2 hours and that was before Ara learned how to throw the worlds most annoying fits every 5 minutes. I was going to opt to wait outside but my Dad paid my brother and soon to be brother to carry Ara on their shoulders. Ara is going through a phase that makes her scream ear piercing screams if she finds herself more than a few inches from me... so off I went into the maze. Ara refused to let anyone carry her so she actually walked with us for more than 3 miles. It took a long time and it felt like the sun was so intense. My Sister bought a map this year and successfully led our slow moving group complete to all the check points and out again. I was grateful to say the least. It's funny how I saw the maze as a tiresome duty but Ara.. well she was talking about it when we got home, she will remember it as something wonderful. So I'm glad I went and I'm also glad I kept my negative comments to myself because in the the end the fact that Ara had a great time is all I really wanted. After the maze, I wanted to sit in the shade and drink gallons of water but it was finally pumpkin patch time! 
We hopped on a horse drawn carriage and were transported out to the fields. The hot dry fields. I sounds like such a complainer but that is my exhausted frame of mind, at the time I was happy and excited. Everyone spread out looking for that special pumpkin. Ara found these little plants that grew pods with little green fruits in them and was very satisfied with unwrapping as many as she could find. I took a million pictures and chose 3 big pumpkins for carving next week with Alison and Charles. My Dad found the perfect little weirdo pumpkin for Ara that had a perfect handle for her. Then we hauled all of our pumpkins back on the carriage, paid, and left! It was a good day for family and memories. Next year Ara and I will go again, and hopefully it will feel less like summer!
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