Pumpkin Sales Only

One more Pumpkin Patch Day is in the books.  Luckily it was a quiet one.  Mondays are the time we restock the entire front inventory.  All of these bins up front were almost empty.  You might think that is an easy job.  It actually requires a lot of back strength.

We have to bend over huge bins out back, picking out the best we can find.  After 21 days in the hot sun, many have begun to rot.  Oh yeah ... there's nothing like picking up a pumpkin and having your fingers go right through the ooey gooey messy stink bombs!  The smell does not wash off.  

We have run out of many varieties, but still have to make the front look nice in between chasing down people who duck under the roped off area.  Only the front is open for pumpkin sales ... none of the attractions.

 With approval, I showed up an hour late to find a couple sitting behind the lines having lunch.  No big deal really, but if others see THEM back there, they will follow.  Gosh ... what a magnificent lunch they had spread out on the picnic table.  That's weird, no one does that.

They said they were here for pumpkin purchases, but soon walked out with nothing in hand.  Then I watched him open her car door, whereupon she got in.  Oh .... she's driving.  Nope ... he then went and got in HIS car (parked some distance away) and they drove off.  I rather think maybe something was going on there.  No one comes here for lunch, and especially not a GOURMET lunch!!

Having discovered we only had maybe 15 bags of pay dirt left, I spent most of the day hanging over the sand box.  I think I mentioned before ..... bags get 2 ounces of Aussie stones, two magnets, three pieces of pyrite and a "real" carved dinosaur (or horse).  It's not easy measuring out 2 ounces of rocks.  Sometimes it's not even easy to remember what you've put IN the cup.

Once I had a bin full, I went outside to the mine setup and filled those 100 bags with sand.  That involves bending over the edge and scooping sand into the bag.  Amazingly, this particular type of sand has been used here for at least four years.  Over and over .... the same course sand.  

Once full, they are placed in the pay dirt locker to be sold for $8 each.  The kids scream with glee when they see all those sparkly rocks.  With enough bags full to last us maybe one night, I headed back to the barn and spent another three hours making more bags ... about 250 of them.  

The prettiest spot on the entire property is this old train station cart used to haul baggage.  It's about 10' x 4' wide and holds dozens of mums in spectacular colors.  These are all grown on the property out back under a huge shade cover.  

The colors are fabulous!  Thank goodness they put in an automatic watering system this year.  Last year we had to water these every single day.  What a chore that was.  In the growing section and here, they all get fertilizer in the water.  I've never planted any because I thought they were annuals.  Come to find out, you can chop them back and they will grow again next year.  

And so the day ended ... but not with good news.  The gal that said she would work Bingo for me tonight, says she has a 6:00 appointment.  What?  With no one else around, I have to take off work at the Patch, finish up Bingo late tonight and be back on the job tomorrow morning at 8:30 for field trips.  

My schedule for the next four days .... 8:30 am to 8:00 pm.  I should be completely exhausted in time for the biggest weekend of the month!!

Total miles walked:  5.21 .... which is crazy since I pretty much stayed in a 200 square foot area!!

Overall total:  129.74