Floater Turned Tractor Driver

The garage door OPENED!!!!  AND it closed when I got home.  SUCCESS!!!

It's October and here we are back at the Hunter Farms Pumpkin Patch.  Did I tell you how much I love this family?  They own most of the almond orchards in this area of the valley, yet are the most down to earth people you'd ever want to meet.  

Besides that, they have the best family pumpkin patch in the country, basically run for free.  Pay $5.00 each to get in and get a token for either $5.00 worth of food or $5.00 worth of pumpkins.

The reason I help out each year is twofold.  I love that they bring in over 5,000 kids from local schools to ride the rides (for free) and give them all a pumpkin to take home (for free).  Is that cool or what??

I have to admit it IS rather hard to have the puppies get me up at 4:00 and then work from 8 - 6.  We'll see how long I last.  It's always so nice and quiet in the mornings as I walk around and pick up bits of trash.  This hundred year old barn is used for parties, fund raisers and even weddings.

With a slower schedule at the beginning, we welcomed 100 handicapped kids yesterday.  I spent the morning setting up the snack bar and waiting for help to arrive.  It's funny, the snack bar is on the east side of the barn and always has a nice breeze, meaning it's the best job to have.  At noon I turned into a floater ... giving all the kids lunch breaks and stocking products for the next day.  

I really wanted to get back on the tractor though.  Be careful what you wish for!!  The Big Boss needed help with a project and snatched the Hay Ride driver.  "Nancy can drive"!!  About the same time, the sun turned up the heat to 87.  

By 1:30 I was running back and forth driving BOTH tractors ... the Time Travel Tractor and the Hay Ride.  In no time I was roasting.  A hat ... I definitely need a HAT!  and SUNSCREEN!!!  

The sunflowers are in full bloom ... this one about twelve inches across.  All the flowers you see here are replanted every year ... and boy are they happy campers.

By 4:00 I was ready to head home.  I checked the schedule to see who was taking my place.  Unfortunately, she was all involved with a fund raiser happening in the barn and forgot she was to drive.  At 5:00 it was getting dark.  Oh wait ... that's because I have my sunglasses on.

At 6:00 after one more round, I finally said I really had to head home to the puppies.  Exhausted, I fell on the couch after taking three aspirin, and feeding the babies of course.

This morning 400 kids will arrive ... loud .. excited .. incorrigible and happy to get out of school for the day.  It's just another day at the pumpkin patch!!