I think I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

We almost didn’t get out to a pumpkin patch this year, but the weather surprised us and we revisited the farm Kyla had gone to for her kindergarten field trip last spring. 

I can’t recommend it enough.

We spent 4 hours (okay, and $18 for all-access bracelets for the kids ($6 each), dollars here and there for cocoa and snacks, and far too much for pumpkins we never carved), and it wasn’t enough time. 

There were play sets and hay mazes (corn maze was extra),

 

a cow train and pedal go-karts,

 

swings, slides, slide, slides,

 

a giant corn “sand box”

 

baby animals, duck races, pig shows,

 

the giant bouncing pillow,

 

a hay ride,

 

beautiful grounds,

 

farm cats and dogs

 

and lots of family fun.  There are dozens of pumpkin farms within a 30 minute drive, but this is the one we’ll go back to next year.  Join us?

It had been 5 weeks since we had been to the cabin (and since I last held my camera, which I had left there), and I had strong cabin fever.  In this case, it meant I wanted in, not out.  

But once we got to the island (and I swear it was sunnier as soon as the ferry docked), we decided to delay heading to Heartsease and went Maxwelton Beach before the sun went down.

 

This late harvest light is golden—as precious as these childhood moments.

 

Driftwood fort + charcoal from beach fire = “let’s paint this house black” with remainder coal dust left on faces.

“Hey, kids, I found a jelly fish!”

“So cool!” “Can I touch it?”  “I’m stepping on it!”  “Look, you can poke a stick through it!” “Yeah!”

 

 

Ah, feels like home.

The Ringling Brothers came to town (well, Everett) and Dwayne and I were so excited that we decided to use the kids as an experience to go. 

We (yes, us!) got there an hour early for the preshow, where we go to to go behind the red curtain and experience the circus a little more close up.

Hey, Pipes, smile.

 

I could totally run a circus. 

 

Everything was exciting…including the price of cotton candy.  If you count $12 as exciting.

 

Love this shot!

Our neighbor’s cat had kittens.  Eight kittens.  Very cute kittens. Very smelly kittens.  Dwayne wanted two.  Piper wanted them all.  Kyla and Wesley liked the idea of two.  I wanted to enjoy them from afar.

So now I have the pleasure of introducing Tommy White foot

 

and Rosie Gray foot. 

 

They are adorable, stinky, and only a slight pain.  And they are indoor cats until next summer (which may start really early this year on my personal calendar) when they are big enough not to be immediate prey.  However, the best argument Dwayne gave for having two kittens was that one was for the raccoons (or cougars or bobcats) and one could pal around with Smokey. 

That makes Dwayne sound cold-hearted until you realize who bought it. 

 

And just so you don’t get tempted to purchase your own wildlife bait, these to “free” kittens will cost us $800 plus food for one year.