We Went Pumpkin Picking

But, NO, we didn't get any pumpkins. I believe Anna's current answer for why this was the case is "The line was too long and the brothers were getting crazy..."

But guess what? No one was disappointed.
I mean, once you take into account the apple picking, hayride, goats to pet and smell, funnel cakes, and yes lots of running through the pumpkin patch looking for pumpkins that would never make it back to Manhattan, you can see why having to come back into the city to merely physically select your pumpkin from the deli two blocks away was not such a big deal.

And make no mistake: the number one reason that Outhouse Orchards was so very able to rise above it's name was the pony rides. (Sebastian's Mommy: thanks for tip! We owe you.)



Here are our cowpokes. Anna, of course, was somewhere far, far beyond happiness when she saw the horse. What surprised me was that Jack and Thomas wanted to go on as well. Particularly Jack. He wore that same stoic look the whole way around the ring, but he loved every second of it. Thomas just giggled and giggled and giggled and giggled. What a day!

Since we had 'gone country' anyway, we stopped at my friend Jen's place in Riverdale on the way back for a campfire (34" pit, I believe) in her backyard. Anna, Thomas, and Jack all roasted marshmallows while retaining their original eyebrows.

Some top quotes from the trip:

• We took the Cross Bronx Expressway to get out to the orchards. As we drove through the Bronx, we all recalled that Diana lives in the Bronx. Anna's comment: "Yep, the Bronx sure looks good..."
• We get to the Outhouse Orchards (grass) parking lot. We get out of the car. We start to walk. We realize we are not walking very fast. This is because every 5 feet or so Thomas looks down and sees a rock that he has to pick up and announce. "Rock! Rock!" "Big Rock!" Even the parking lots are more exciting out here...
• When we got to Jen's house they started up the grill and everyone was munching happily on their burgers and hot dogs. Until Anna looked up and wondered "When are we going to do camping?"
  At which point the fire pit was readied.
  Soon Anna had her stick, her marshmallow and her fire. She looked up at the moon and delcared: "Yep, it sure is a nice night for camping."
  And then someone decided that Anna's marshmallow was done and started to take it off of the stick for her. Anna watched this happen and then let this person know that "Real camping is when you get to eat your own marshmallow."
  

What a day, eh? I love fall.