Orange

Not sure how to introduce this next post, without yet another lame intro, save to say that orange is my new favorite color. I think it's such a happy color. Maybe it's getting to me because our wood floors have this orange hue to them and I tread on them all day long. Speaking of the color orange.....

We had planned to go apple picking at the end of last summer, but instead went pumpkin picking in the early Fall. Basically, we missed our chance to go apple picking to our favorite place upstate with the nearby drive-in movie theater. Instead, we ended up going to F&W Schmitt's Family Farm in Melville, NY, not too far from where we live. We had a fabulous time in their orange sea of pumpkins.What a sight.

There was a Fall festival going on with blow-up rides, but we weren't interested in that at all. We just wanted to get to the field. Liam loved the hayride to the pumpkin picking area while we loved that it was actually free. We skipped the corn maze, because like I said before, it creeps me out a little. Instead we waded through the pumpkins. The pumpkins, big or small, were 69 cents a pound and we also went vegetable picking (eggplant, tomatoes, green peppers and string beans) for 99 cents a pound. Not too bad considering you get to experience the fun of picking them yourself. A month later there were other kinds of vegetables for picking, like radishes, but who eats those anyway? 

Here are the irresistible pumpkin-filled photos that I took that day. What a pretty orange color! It's true what they say about orange being a happy color. And I need to see a happy color now, during the dead of winter, among the piles and piles of snow, to help cure this horrendous cabin fever.

First, he ran towards the bigger pumpkins. Too heavy.

Then, he spotted the smaller ones
and grabbed hold the first one.

One, of course, isn't good enough. He started thinking about all the pumpkins he wanted to pick up for his friends.

Here he declared that he needed help carrying "all of these".

 He spotted Welita and went to get some love from her.

 He said that he also wanted this patch of grass for our backyard. Me too, kiddo!

 

He always snags whatever hat or cap Daddy is wearing. That day it was this hip black one.

At the real pumpkin patch

 Daddy, the budding photographer, holding a tomato that Liam picked.

He sure loved picking tomatoes right off the vine. I'm glad he got a chance to do this since the tomato plants in our backyard died in September. (It's probably the soil which is why we will try composting to fertilize our soil first before we try to grow anything.)

Daddy, Welita and Liam in the distance picking veggies.

Huge string beans!

We steamed these later that evening for dinner.

The hayride back to the farm's main entrance.
See how happy! I'm convinced it's the power of the color orange..... and the fresh air and sun, too.

Fun ride for Welita!

 My little pumpkin standing by the enormous wheel of the tractor.

 Finally, ending the day with candied apples. It was a first for Liam and me, if you can believe it.

What a happy day with my family! We ended up with one big pumpkin and four little ones.* We really liked this farm and would love to go back again for pumpkin and vegetable picking in the Fall of 2011, but with so many great farms out in Long Island, maybe we will try another..... or maybe we won't. Maybe you can't get any better than this one.

* The little ones were sweeter and tastier. The big one was a real pain to cut into, so I'm doubtful we will ever buy a big one again. I have made pie four times and still have lots of pumpkin in our freezer. I would like to attempt to make a different pumpkin dessert, but these guys are happy with pie, so pie it is.