When I was in grade school we learned this crazy October/Halloween song. After a quick search of the internet, I cannot find the song online. Suffice it to say however, every time someone says the word “OCTOBER“ this song runs through my head.

O-C-T-O-B-E-R, Halloween is in October. BEST (insert a snap, snap of fingers here), by FAR (insert a click, click of tongue here).

😂🤣 🎃 🤣😂

My October has been bookended by pumpkins and sunshine!

^{Picturesque Schuh Farms, October 2020. Photo by Hive account@dfinney. Also posted on Instagram.}

Somehow, I have managed to visit two pumpkin patches this month! The first visit in early October was to Schuh Farms, located in Mt. Vernon, WA. The second visit (just yesterday), was to Biringer’s Black Crow Pumpkins and Corn Maze, located in Arlington, WA.

^{Biringer Farms, October 25, 2020.}

I love Autumn and what I like to call “Agro-tourism Season”. The season really starts in late summer, but it is ALL about getting out of the city, sunny drives, farm stands, fresh produce and an assortment of barnyard animals. Fall just makes it a bit more special as the leaves turn warm hues and look so spectacular against the bright blue sky.

My first pumpkin patch of this season was an accidental find. If you read THIS post, you might remember I was in the market for a new car. Well...WE BOUGHT ONE!

Our new 2020 Mazda CX5

^{Photo of the car from the dealership’s website.}

^{Detailed and all tied up before we drove her home. #cheesy}

Buying a new car mid-pandemic, as layoffs loom is totally stupid. However, that is besides the point. The point is, I found the pumpkin patch when I took off work to drive aimlessly in the new car! 😄

^{The drive.}

On my drive I wandered up to a coastal town called Anacortes (about 1.5 hours north of home). Then I looped down to another quaint community called La Coner (most famous for its tulip festival), before heading east to Mt. Vernon. I spotted Schuh farms by accident while taking a scenic shortcut!

The farm was hard to miss!!!

^{As seen from the road!}

Schuh Farms was absolutely darling! The property had three main sections. First, there was the barn with the GIANT jack-o-lantern face. Inside it housed a small gift shop and bakery! I ate the most delicious bite sized pumpkin pie. Just outside of the barn was a display of every kind of gourd/pumpkin.

Behind the barn was the heart of the farm’s agricultural production. Here I found chickens and goats. There was also a vast field of pumpkins and a smaller area with sunflowers growing.

^{Endless rows of pumpkins.}

^{Party in the hen house!}

^Sunflowers

^{Goat with a view.}

The third area of the farm was the family home with pumpkin patch. The house was a gorgeous white classic farmhouse with black shutters and trim. It what seemed to be their front “yard”, hay covers the ground. On top, perfectly ripened pumpkins were placed for picking.

^{Classic pumpkins for carving displayed to be picked.}

^{All smiles in the patch.}

^{Looking back towards the barn.}

So that was pumpkin patch one. Now onto pumpkin patch two!

Yesterday my husband, pooches and I joined one of my best friends and his family for another pumpkin patch and corn maze. We chose this particular farm because it was dog friendly. We met at about 1pm on what was a sunny but COLD day, and headed straight for the corn maze.

^{Corn with a backdrop of the North Cascade Mountains.}

Despite the mud, the kiddos in our group LOVED running through the maze. My short dachshunds... not as thrilled. The maze was 3 acres in size and was shaped like Washington State. Within the maze were six stations. Each included a plaque with Washington State history and facts.

^{Learning in the maze.}

^{Not learning in the maze.... 😂🤣😂}

We emerged from the maze into a vast field of pumpkins. Several had been picked from the vine and were available to bring home. Others were still green and growing. We also spotted heaps of unusual beetles and other bugs as we wandered.

^{Imported Asian ladybugs for pest control and a wee growing pumpkin.}

^{My friend’s son, making like a pumpkin.}

From the pumpkin patch we made our way to the “graveyard”. The one shocking revelation of the day... THE EASTER BUNNY IS DECEASED!!! Sorry to be the bearer of the sad news... 🐰 ⚰️

^{We apparently weren’t too broken up about the bunny news.}

Overall the day was cold but excellent. With covid and the other stresses of the past 8 months, we haven’t seen friends too often this year. It was so nice to spend time face to face with one of my oldest friends and his family. In a normal year we would have seen each other basically every other week. Getting to laugh and talk about the deep stuff in person was the best.