Field Trippin' -Part 2:The Pumpkin Patch

I do not know what possesses me to sign up for field trips where we have no idea where we are going or who we are going to be with. At least I was SURE to get the date right on this one(unlike the beach trip!). We thought we live out in the boonies. We discovered that there are much "boonier" places than where we live. We drove for several miles at a time without seeing anything. No signs of civilization whatsoever. Then we get into an area that is part of Huntsville. Very much civilization. I started getting really worried. You see, a few years ago, when we went to visit our first set of Ukrainian orphans, I put the address into mapquest, followed it completely and ended up at the place where they receive their mail. Not good. I was worried that this might be a repeat of that. So finally we got out of Huntsville and started seeing signs for "Tate's Cotton Picking Pumpkin Patch". (oh good, my heart rate is returning to normal)

Finally there after what seemed like an eternity


Checking out the playground while we wait for our tour to begin


Nathaniel with his pumpkin


Benjamin with his pumpkin


Samuel and Mark with their pumpkins. (Does it seem strange to anyone else that Mark-the biggest guy-picked out the smallest pumpkin???)


I thought this little green pumpkin was a cutie.It was only about the size of an apple.


Our luxury ride for the tour


The boys also got to pick cotton


Check out all that "Alabama Snow"


Aren't we cute????


I taught I taw a pudHAY cat!!


The corn crib


Benj is so corny


So is Samuel


Help! He's sinking in quicksand, er, quickcorn


BIG pumpkins


Nathaniel really liked the bunnies


Braving the hay maze


Benjamin's favorite part-jumping out of the loft.


Check out his landing face


For once in his life the brave Samuel got scared. He did not want to jump. Usually it is Benjamin getting scared. This was weird.


The tire mountain


Benj playing in the cotton


Nathaniel is a scarecrow!!


Now Benjamin s a scarecrow


The dignified preacher/paper plate maker goofing off for the camera.

We had such a good time. this trip made me really think about how we take modern conveniences for granted.The tour guide was telling us that the farm's cotton pickers could could pick at the same rate as 800 people!! The boys were amazed when I told them that my grandmother used to have to pick cotton by hand. They were even more amazed when they found out that it was not something fun to her. They really have no clue of how hard life can be.
The ride home seemed so much faster and less "are we ever going to see signs of life again?" than the way there did. We got very tickled at the name of a town on our way. Is it any surprise we don't live THERE????