Punkin' Huntin' Exchange Program

Since discovering it with the Jarvies last year, I've decided to make Negangard Pumpkin Patch an annual tradition in our household. You don't hunt for your perfect pumpkin in the patch, per se, but there's a lot of hunting involved as you wind your way through rows and rows of beautiful, unique, and spectacular pumpkin varieties.

 

Bobby selected a huge one for carving, I instantly fell in love with a multicolored warty one that's shaped like a pyramid, and Alice insisted on five baby pumpkins (at $0.25 a piece, it's easy to say "yes". She also came home with 2 teensy gourds which promptly became mother and baby). Grandma Poulson came home with a pale pink pumpkin that made 3 excellent pies with minimal effort. Grandpa Poulson opted to stay home to work on the bathroom remodeling.

We brought along our friends as part of an exchange program. They are die-hard "hunt in the patch" folks, and we prefer bargain basement prices and more variety, so the two of us agreed to experience each others' version of the great punkin' hunt this year. Here are photos from Negangard's:

Wagons are the best part.

Ready to go!

Where to begin?



Start with the babies, of course.



"One, two, fwee..."



Buddies in the wagon



Helping Daddy find a big one.



The final lineup. We drew faces on the pumpkins this year, though we may carve them when it gets closer to Halloween. Alice drew the face on the middle one. She can't draw a recognizable face on paper, but it's crystal clear on a sphere. She also helped us color the other ones, and she wanted Bobby's pumpkin to have stitches ("tishes"). My warty pumpkin is in the back.

And here are the photos from Curtis Orchards' Pumpkin Patch. We were too late to get good pumpkins in the field this year, but there was still PLENTY to do. Alice and I both had a great time. The best part for her, though, was the doughnut and fresh cider afterwards.

Alice going through the Ruby Slipper Maze

"Mommy! See how big my is. Aaaaaaaaaaaa! Ladybug!"
Alice running through the pumpkin graveyard. She was eager to go ahead and find cool ones to show me. She only biffed it twice.
She's having a great time with baby pumpkin. The wind didn't bother her much this time. We did learn, however, that it's hard to remain modest in a dress while sitting cross-legged in a wagon.
Alice deciding which she wanted more: the baby pumpkin or a fresh apple cider doughnut. Mommy made her choose between them since she had 5 other baby pumpkins waiting at home. Doughnut wins.

The final verdict: I think we'll do both pumpkin patches every year. They both have their exciting bits, and I can't pick just one. Besides, it's all about hanging out with friends and doing something a little out of the ordinary. Both outings were a screaming success by those counts, so I'm excited to continue the tradition indefinitely.