Bishop's Pumpkin Farm

Driving to visit a pumpkin farm hasn’t happened for a few years, with my aging car struggling to stay operable. So this year, when I asked the kids what they wanted to do for a treat, they chimed in with, “Pumpkin Farm!” And not just any farm, but one that held (I learned) many, many memories, Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm. Nothing quite stirs at my mama-heart like teens and kids delighting in nostalgia. And this farm inspired so many stories!

Would they go to the train first? Or the hay ride? Or the silo where their voices reverberated with operatic echoes? They were so excited!

We played. Then rode behind a tractor out to the field. Where I picked my way along uneven ground, ugh, because they were in search of perfectly small pumpkins. In those moments, I struggle to decide whether the quest is worth the effort. But it’s no fun to wait, missing out, either. So Ian was super-nice and walked slow with me.

Then the tractor actually picked us up on the way back to the farm so we didn’t have to walk all of the way to the pick up zone (thank you!).

The other big adventure was a ride on the Farm Train. They, again, were soooo thrilled to go on the train. They had to dash for the cage-car. Ian sat with me again. Along the way, they oohed at all the familiar sights.

It’s quite a treat to spend the day with them :)

At one point they discovered a collection of small buildings fashioned after an old western town. The town had a small one room schoolhouse with tiny desks. The girls could barely fit their long teenager legs underneath. They were busy so I took a few photos. I sat for awhile under a tree. Then figured they must have gone ahead. Except… no… so I backtracked. They were still in the schoolhouse. Apparently they invented a game with other kids, where one would be teacher and ask about stagecoach stops which were on a sign by the teacher’s desk. Then they would try to remember as many as possible.

We also had to visit the trampolines, which were actually matresses (ummmm) under a layer of hay. Through they didn’t really want to jump on it anymore because they remembered how very itchy that hay became. We then visited the giant tires as the sun dipped towards the horizon. Playing tag from tire to tire entertained them until the sun set in a glorious display of gold, rose, and deepening blue.

Some days, the effort feels like so much effort. And some days, all the effort is worth the effort. I am so grateful that we got to make these memories together :)

Wishing you a happy Halloween season!