There’s Vision… & Then There’s Reality

On that same pumpkin selection trip, we had an idyllic day planned.  Being an October baby, this is my favorite time of year.  I had visions of Jakey running through the pumpkin patch– super excited to see and touch all of the different pumpkins.  I dressed him up in autumnal colors, hoping to snap some potentially Christmas card-worthy shots.

We began the day with breakfast at Kelly’s (www.kellysfrenchbakery.com).  As always, she never disappoints.  Then we piled back in the car and drove up Highway 1, deciding we would stop at the best looking pumpkin patch we came across.  Of course the first one we saw looked good, but just like buying a house, you can’t buy the first one you see, can you?  We ended up driving all the way to Pescadero.  We weren’t hungry yet, but you can’t go to Pescadero without getting the cream of green chile soup at Duarte’s (www.duartestavern.com).  I got a large container with warm bread to go.

On the way back to the first pumpkin patch (yes, turns out that sometimes the first one you see is the one… as a realtor, James could have probably told me that), it started to rain.  Rain?!  October is our best time of year– was rain forecasted?

We pull-up to the pumpkin patch that we previously passed awash in sunshine, now under a steady drizzle.  And Jake is, of course, asleep.  He wakes up and I convince him it will be fun to walk through the pumpkin patch.  It’s on a slight hill.  He falls.  Now he’s wet and muddy.  This is when my idyllic vision hits the hard, cold wall of reality.

My son, who takes a bath every day, plus two showers (one with Mom, one with Dad), holds his little hands over his eyes like visors and chants, “Raining, raining.”  Tiny, barely perceptible raindrops have him cowering like he’s melting.  So I end up carrying this little squinting 28 pound bundle of muddy shoes around a 3 acre pumpkin patch.  He noticeably perks-up when we get out the enormous golf umbrella.  Of course he has to be in charge of holding it.

Yes, miraculously, we made it out with $30 worth of pumpkins and our eyes.  I guess there’s always next year.