Oct 19 2007
Patch to Lantern (Pic of the Week)
Benjamin and friends aboard the barrel train.
(Click to overload on the cuteness.)
You ever stand downwind of a billy goat? They soak their beards in their own urine to mark themselves. I understand why there’s no goat overpopulation problem.
What’s with the popularity of pumpkin farms recently? It seems every town has one nearby, usually hawking pumpkins and showing off common farm animals as if they’re exotics.
Brief sidenote: The one neareast us happens to be owned and operated by the Bill Bates Cowboy Ranch. Bates was a fan favorite as a Dallas Cowboys player his entire 15-year NFL career. Although he now coaches high school in Florida, it’s easy to see how owning a ranch north of Dallas might be lucrative.
But this isn’t a sports blog. No, this one covers hard-hitting topics like oversized squash.
The two years previous, Big Orange Pumpkin Farm (ingenious name, eh?) had a few obligatory rows of plants with small pumpkins alongside them. They weren’t attached to each other, so I figured they just cut them for convenience. Kids see the ones they like and can just grab and go (to the counter to pay). Simple system.
I was fooling myself, and on our most recent visit it took only a quick conversation with the concession stand lady to get the scoop.
“They bring the pumpkins in from somewhere else,” she said as she slid three hotdogs across the counter to me. “But this year there are actually pumpkins growing out there. They’re green, but they’re out there.”
They’re still in business to do business, but at least this time they weren’t “giving us the business.”
Well, that’s not entirely true. The admission price is $7/person over four years of age. That outlay of cash also buys a small cup of animal feed to…um… feed the animals, a hayride, and a ticket for a “free” hot dog. Ride on the tractor-pulled barrel train? Two dollars extra. Take home that small pumpkin your child picked out? Three more.
Watching your wife cram herself into the barrel the last time? Priceless.
I guess that isn’t very much when you consider just one person. But, for a family on a single income (which all of our group was), that can add up. Two adults, two kids, two rides on the barrel train (it’s very hard to say “no” to this because they’re so cute inside those half-barrel cars). $38 (if each kid gets a pumpkin). And that’s if you brought your own drinks.
Compared to other activities involving the entire family, it probably still isn’t very much, but I grew up in a rural area. I could see these animals every day if I wanted to (and sometimes did). It just doesn’t seem like a $38 attraction to me.
But these suburban kids seem to love it.
No doubt after seeing farm animals again, some of the kids will pepper their parents with questions similar to one Ben threw out at us: “Did this ham used to be a bird?”
All minor complaints (but not miner complaints) aside, the day was fun. It was the best weather we’ve had for this event, with sunny skies and about 75 degrees when we arrived at 10:00 a.m. Past trips have required jackets and a careful eye toward overcast skies.
We inadvertantly (but happily) spent most of our time with just one of the four other couples there with our group. The dad is from near Chicago, and his family still lives in the small Illinois town I visited on a business trip earlier this month. Let’s all say it: small world.
After a good time, we wasted little time at home before Benjamin and I got to work carving his pumpkin. Well, he didn’t handle the blades, but he was anxious for “us” to get started. I downloaded a simple design off the Internet and went for it. Props to Shannon for digging out much of the gunk with her rad fingernails.
Brains!
Careful. Easy does it.
Boo!
See the post from two years ago for one of my all-time favorite pics of Ben and how I ticked off a bicycling enthusiast.
That does seem a bit steep. But then, the pumpkin farm we went to was mostly free with a donations bucket for those so inclined. We were. Not for the goats, exactly…but for the intricate system of mazes they had set up. Some for kids…some so complex they stumped four relatively intelligent adults. Oh..and it also helped that our kids weren’t begging for rides on the barrell train. At their age, they were just as thrilled to watch it go by.
Way to go, Ben! Ask Daddy those difficult questions about your food. Mark, I once dated a girl who, on her own, became a vegitarian at around 3 and a half. Just refused to eat it anymore once the source was explained. Just sayin’ ;)
Great pumpkin carving Mark. I always enjoyed Halloween when my girls were younger. On of my favorite pictures of my oldest daugher was when she was about 1 and a half in a pumpkin patch.
Cyclist say drivers are rude but we have some really rude cyclists here to deal with.
The lens I was using was a Nikor 70-300 F/4.5 probably similar to what you have. It was not fixed. I did try out a 2x teleconverter whiched worked fairly well. That got me in on number 2 daughter Amy pretty good. I do not like the auto focus on this though and if you are doing moving subjects it gets really tricky. I learned quickly to focus on an area and wait for the subject to move into that area!
Mike
Moksha - No mazes for us at this one. But, there was a fun maze at the Dallas Arboretum’s pumpkin setup last fall. That post included one of my all-time favorite pictures of Benjamin (have I used that phrase lately?).
We always answer Ben honestly when he asks about the meats he eats. He knows that, depending on the meat, it used to be a cow, a pig, a turkey, a chicken, a fish, or whatever else he’s tried. He also has asked, “Was it walking around?” or “Was it swimming around in the water?” He has always just gone right back to eating. Maybe it’s a guy-girl thing at this age.
Mike - Aha! That lens sounds familiar. Mine is 70-210, which makes it 105-315 on my digital. It’s straight “AF” not “AF-S.” The optics are the same on both, I believe, but the “AF-S” is superior.
I wish I could have SEEN the barrel train… did you crop the picture?
Looks like everyone had a great time…
Have a great weekend Mark!
It’s the Great Pumpkin!
And coming soon, Dolly Madison snack cakes!
Last time we went to the Pumpkin Patch, it didn’t cost us that much, but I think they’ve raised their prices since then.
You guys have spoons in your house, right? Or does Shannon just really, really like digging brainy gunk out with her fingernails? ‘Cause if she does, that’s totally OK! Just… weird.
And how can they call themselves the Big Orange Pumpkin Farm when they grow *green* pumpkins of their own?! Sheesh…
Dave - Oddly, I didn’t take any pictures including the actual train cars.
Alvis - Ooohh, Dolly Madison snack cakes.
Funny you mentioned the price and the fact that you guys haven’t gone lately. I think it’s the perfect business for this area, because with so many folks moving in from out of state, you get a new crop of customers each year. Nobody’s tired of going every fall, and you can gouge them on the price!
Simon - Well, we tried the spoon, but it just wasn’t getting the job done. It was leaving too many of those strands behind. A serrated spoon would have been perfect, but instead we let Shannon’s fingernails (and later, our kitchen scissors) finish the job.
She is weird, though. I’ll give you that.
Hey, you guys had better watch out, talking about me like that!
Dave, I took a picture of the train itself, so I will have Mark put the picture out there.
I totally missed the detail about Shan using her fingernails. Sorry, Shannon…but that’s strange.
No sir…not strange at all. I got your back Shannon. Sometimes you just have to use what God gave you to get the job done right? I always use my fingernails (unless I JUUUST cut them). You gotta get that stuff outta there. Maybe a metal spork would be a good idea for an invention though. I remember as kids our parents had some serrated tip spoons for grapefruits…OOH, those would be perfect!
I use a machete, but we all know I’m weird. ;-) That’s such a cute little pumpkin. I thought they grew everything BIG in Texas???
(Holy cow, there’s Alvis. Hi Alvis!)
Hi Mark,
Kids are great for photography but the way YOU are making them look-like, ( i love the expressions on their faces so relaxed!!!) is really a kinda art ( through my eyes). Very well done:)
HI!:) ,
I am back from my short trip to South of Italy, thanks for ‘not forgetting me’ I posted an overview of pictures from my holiday , soon more… Have a great sunday!!! Greetings JoAnn