Fall Farms = Fun + pumpkins + apples + squash = Sad to see winter coming

The lovely and rainy fall weather has past us by leaving behind a very cold wind, but I really enjoyed the harvest season and the beautiful autumn leaves.  I remember autumn always having been my favorite season. These activities are long past, but to recap, we (meaning myself, the kids, and some friends while Joe toiled his life away at school) made visits to a couple of farms. We picked apples, walked around pumpkin patches and corn mazes, fed farm animals, waded through mud, played on toys, blah blah blah. Even though I often miss Santa Monica, I actually love Ithaca's rural setting. I love driving and running on country roads--which are rather easy to find around here. Anyway, even though upstate NY looks nothing like Idaho, the rural, peaceful setting sometimes reminds me of home. 

Grismore Farms

This place is BEAUtiful! Just for the record, I did not touch up these pictures at all, but even I almost can't believe the colors when I look at them. BUT, it had just rained so everything was fresh and vibrant. And for some reason I can't take an in focus picture to save my life. Some day.

Maggie was in apple picking heaven! While the other kids ate a few bites from apples here and there, she ate 5 whole apples (or at least that is how many I counted). She would have continued chowing down, but I made her stop. Then she ate one more.

Apple orchard

Notice, she is eating an apple

Another apple 

Sweet boy along for the ride

Iron Kettle Farms

We made two trips to Iron Kettle Farms. The first time the place was deserted. Almost spooky. The second time the place was crawling with kids, mostly from schools. Both times Maggie LOVED driving this bus. During our second visit, she also claimed this driver's seat. The bus was FULL (standing room only) of school age kids (i.e. a lot BIGGER than Maggie). Several of them (wanting a turn to drive the bus) blocked Maggie into the seat. She WOULD NOT give up her seat. After watching for awhile I started to worry that they were going to eat her, so I pulled her out the window on the opposite side because I could't even get into the bus (too full of kids!). I was rather impressed with Maggie's courage though. That girl knows what she wants. 

Maggie is a little scared of the idea of Santa Claus. If ever he comes up, she says, "Santa Claus is not coming."  This farm had a fake Santa (with a pumpkin for a head, little weird) and reindeer on the roof of a barn. When I showed Maggie, she froze, said nothing, and made this face in response. She held this pose long enough for me to laugh, wait, laugh again, pull out my camera and snap a picture. I am thinking that after Santa comes this year she might have a little bit warmer feelings towards him.

Pumpkins!! Maggie is partial to the little ones that she can carry around.