Pumpkins Past and Present

One of my favorite annual events is going to the pumpkin patch. I think of it as the initiation of autumn and of the holiday season. Monkey Boy loves it, too. When his dad suggested we pick a pumpkin up at the grocery store, Monkey Boy flatly refused and reminded him that we took photos when we got our pumpkin.

Every year we do this. It is our ritual. It is a beloved tradition. I hope that Monkey Boy will still want to get a pumpkin at the pumpkin patch for many years to come. I love everything about it. I love seeing the sea of orange. I love the smell of Fall in the air. I love seeing watching Monkey Boy search for the perfect pumpkin.

Every year there seems to be a different definition of 'perfect.' Some years Perfect = Big. Other years Perfect = Round. I let him make the decision. I’m just here to watch and enjoy. Here are a couple of photos from pumpkin patch visits gone by:

This year we went to a produce stand, named aptly enough, the Pumpkin Patch. Supposedly there is some kind of pumpkin shortage this year. I did notice that the pumpkins were smaller. As a matter of fact, the pumpkin Monkey Boy picked out has to be the smallest we've had. Here are some shots of the event:

Every year, as per our tradition, I pick out my favorite shot from the pumpkin patch excursion. Here's this year's winner:

The pumpkin did have a stem on it when we bought it but Marco, the psychotically needy puppy, promptly chewed it off!