A Country Drive

We left the house at 10:30 in search of different colored leaves, and large orange circular squash. We found both.

Somebody told us that pumpkins didn't do well this year. You couldn't tell it from this womans crop. She had these 3 carts full, plus 2 more in the front. She seemed a little stressed. "How much for the pumpkins on the cart?" "I don't know...my husband and I didn't discuss it." (I thought the big PUMPKINS FOR SALE sign out front meant that they wanted to sell them.)




"We have been way behind...and
haven't even cleaned the pumpkins off. The apples are ready, and we need to pick them before they fall to the ground and get ruined." I felt her pain. Nothing worse than a crusted-with-dirt pumpkin. We finally settled on 5 dollars for a standard pumpkin, a warty pumpkin, and 4 baby decorative gourds. We felt bad for her. She said most years it isn't so bad...but this year was and is...a struggle.

We ended up with a van full of pumpkins, gourds-big and small, corn stalks, a watermelon, butternut squash, and a bag full of black walnuts. Colorful...to say the least.

My favorite stands are the ones that are on the honor system. The ones today had either a coffee can, or a birdhouse in which you put your money. Why are they my favorite...you might ask. My wife won't do it...but I put a piece of newspaper over my license plate...take up my 2 dollars for a watermelon...glance around...and race back to the car with 2 melons. Same thing at the honor-system pumpkin patch. 3 piles marked 1,2, and 3 dollars. You put 3 bucks in, and take 3 big pumpkins. What are people thinking in this day and age...thinking they can get away with doing anything on the honor system? That'll teach 'em.

Of course...I didn't do that. I love the fruit and veggie stands that use the honor system. I like to believe that most people are decent and honest people. It would never even enter my mind to pull off a stunt like that...although I'm sure a lot of these stands get burned. Almost sickening.

Have to hang my gourds up to dry...get that awful green stuff off of the walnuts...cut up my watermelon...and carve the pumpkins. Always something to do.