So blessed!

 This is a quick post today... 

Farm work is plentiful and I have writing to get done and this is our 'crunch' time, but I had to stop and just say how very blessed I am to be doing what I love and living where I live.

Sure, life is weird.

Pandemics do that, don't they?

But we've expanded display space so that folks can come to the farm masked-- or unmasked-- in our socially distant and outdoor environment, because we want that warmth of normal to extend to families and friends.

This was us, setting up, figuring out what to display, and where... At this point we had to move that firewood pile off the parking area, and visualize what pumpkins we had, where they would fit, and how to mix/blend/match colors. This year we have a lot of blue pumpkins, my fave! So this was the beginning and Beth runs the show on this part.... For this we query the guys who are in the fields... How many Cinderellas, Fairytales, Galeaux D'Esines, Cotton Candies, Casperitas, Bumpkins, etc. can we expect? If we have a clear idea of what's coming up over the next 5 weeks, we can plan display space accordingly. This year there are new pink pumpkins... the first planting didn't come well, but we continue planting for weeks and repeat plantings because sometimes timing is everything.  And the new pink pumpkins are gorgeous and should be ready in two weeks. We're so excited! 

Yesterday I had a family whose children hadn't been "out" in public since March.

I was so glad they picked us! Yay for them and us!

It's not just the thousands of beautiful pumpkins that draw folks in.

Here we've got Grizzly Bears (caramel-colored and bumpy!) Silver Edge, Flatso (a pie pumpkin with a flattened top that works for stacking!) white pie pumpkins, Field Trip pumpkins and in that back corner, big ivory Specters, white pumpkins with warts!!!!! 

And then there are the sixteen hundred chrysanthemums to attract business... and smiles!

It's kindly volunteers who help them build stacks, pick out pumpkins, set up displays or just buy the ones we already made! 

It's all good! 

Displays get built on wagons... there are two huge wagons now and a repurposed chicken coop, and three photo ops so families can pose for pictures and have a stunning display behind them... One on the front porch, one in the horseshoe and one in the expanded field leading out back... No cost pics is a wonderful thing!

Cookies! Carrot cake! Zucchini bread and jams, oh, the jams, all homemade here... strawberry rhubarb, triple berry, sour cherry and others. 

And fairy houses! The efforts of so many people pull this all together for us, and it offers an option of normal to so many people that haven't had much 'normal' since March.

God has blessed us with space. God has blessed us with strength. God has blessed us with knowledge of pumpkins! :) 

And we learn more every year.

When things got bad in the spring, we hunkered down, but if you're running a business, you can't stay hidden forever. Not if you love and value your business. Not if you believe in what you're doing.

We do it for your kids... and ours. These guys act as Fairy Hunt guides. Kids hunt for fairy houses and have a laminated check-off list (Mandy's idea...) and they get a .50 pumpkin for their efforts! So exciting! And these guys know where All The Houses Are! :) They're part of the fun, part of the family effort... and little kids relate to little kids! Emissaries! 

And I would love to see folks embrace the fresh air and open spaces of living outside big cities.... Come here! Buy a house, live, laugh and love.

We're not perfect, but we've got space and being socially distant in a time like this is no problem... not when your nearest neighbor is 500 feet away.

I would love to see a modern-day exodus from the cities to the wide open spaces of a massive country.

Like our pioneer ancestors braved the trek west, how fun it would be to see folks spread their wings and fly to a new normal? 

For us? For now? The new normal is pumpkins! :)

And people.

This extrovert is loving having people at the farm and we are so blessed to be able to do this wonderful thing.

As always, my faith and belief that God's in charge carries us on, carries us through, and it's worked so far.

Pumpkins, anyone?

Multi-published author Ruth Logan Herne is currently wearing her pumpkin farmer hat and is grateful to live in the land of the free because of the brave... where she can write books and grow pumpkins and live life to the full.... while drinking coffee and eating cookies. 

Visit her website at ruthloganherne.com, friend her on Facebook or email Ruthy at loganherne@gmail.com She'd love to talk with you!