We scheduled our 2009 Pumpkin Patch months ago. Delivery was set for Friday, October 16. On Saturday, October 10, I received a call from our growers in New Mexico. A refrigerated tractor-trailer on the way to a church in Georgia had broken down in Little Rock. Normally, we receive 1/3 of an 18-wheeler full of pumpkins. They wanted us to take the ENTIRE TRUCK!
I knew that we would sell them, but was worried that we didn't have the space. Luckily, they found a church in the area who would take "half" of the load. When it arrived on Monday, Oct. 12, I was not prepared in the least. No pallets. No hay bales. No decorative mums or other items. And when it arrived, it was more like 3/4 of the truck.
Also lucky for us was that the grower hired temporary workers to unload the truck for us. It took hours and hours, but they got the pumpkins off the lot, and we were good to go by Wednesday the 14th...a few days early, but not too bad.
This was the patch after it had been unloaded...nothing organized, not all on pallets...just pumpkins everywhere...
And this is the other side of the patch...surely you sense how overwhelmed I was! The pictures do not do it justice. It took hours of sorting through these to even have a 14 inch path through them...for reference, that sign is probaby 20 feet wide and 10 feet high at its highest point...
So, since Monday, October 12...my wife and child have been widowed by the Pumpkin Patch. I'm here every night until 7 or after...and it's been wild. We've had a tremendous turnout this year, and sales have been great.
Yesterday, Jenny had about hit her limit with me being gone and Benjamin wanting his Daddy. Did I mention that, since I last posted, we've had stomach flu, hives, an allergic reaction to benadryl which led us to Children's Hospital, a cough and cold, followed by two grade-4 ear infections and bilateral pink eye?? Oh, and did I mention that Jenny had bronchitis and an ear infection herself a couple of weeks back?
Needless to say we needed to get out of the house for a bit. Brace yourselves for the excitement we experienced...we went to Panera for Breakfast! It's probably the most calm hour we have spent together this month.
Ben enjoying his buttered Chocolate Chip "Muffie"
I may have posted this picture before, but I'm posting it again...it was our first time this year to be in our winter clothes! We LOVE cold weather. Bring it on!
Ben enjoying his buttered Chocolate Chip "Muffie"
I may have posted this picture before, but I'm posting it again...it was our first time this year to be in our winter clothes! We LOVE cold weather. Bring it on!Anyway, that's a look at our life this month...pumpkins and antibiotics.
Have a great Halloween and enjoy the extra hour of sleep!
