Ahhh, fall. It is definitely my favorite season of the year, and I wish it would stay this way all year long. I would not miss swimming, I would not miss shoveling snow, and although I might miss them a little, I could learn to live without spring flowers.
As soon as the first leaves start to change color, my favorite things to do are go to the fall craft fairs and to the pumpkin festival at Duffields. It’s not all that exciting – a few craft tables, a small petting zoo, pony rides, and apple cider doughnuts. This year, we missed the festival, so I decided on Brighid’s day off I would take the girls to Duffields anyway so they could pick out their pumpkins.
Well, I did not know that even during the week, Duffields has hay rides out to the pumpkin patch. Eilis thought this was SO great! I opted not to go, since I had the baby in her stroller, but Brighid and Eilis snuggled together and rode out on the tractor to the pumpkin patch to find the most sincere pumpkins to bring back home for decorating. They were so cute, the two of them, and Grace and I watched as they rode off. We wandered around a bit, looked at the animals, watched the kids in the baby corn maze, and enjoyed the smells coming from the bakery.
When the hay ride was over, Eilis and Brighid emerged from the back of the trailer with a big fat pumpkin, waiting to be painted or carved. We wandered over to the other pumpkin patch, where the pumpkins are already picked, but waiting to be taken home. We got Gracie a little pumpkin of her own. They had a cute little “booth” set up with gourds and hay that you could take photos at, so we did. And then we enjoyed some fresh apple cider and those warm, delicious cider doughnuts.
This is why we moved back to New Jersey.