Pumpkin patch

Pumpkin Patch 2002

For the past two years we have "worked" the Pumpkin Patch at church. That means that when the huge semi full of pumpkins pulls up, my family and I along with many teens and a few parents help unload the pumpkins one by one. We usually do it "bucket brigade" style. Meaning we have a few people in the truck (more as we get further back) and some people pick up the pumpkins (Hubby and Bear usually take on this incredibly back bending torture) and hand them off to the first person in line. Then you pass pumpkins along, person to person, until they get to the pallets where they are set out. There are thousands of pumpkins (and lots of gourds). People come by for the next month and purchase them. The money goes to benefit the youth programs and subsidize mission trips.

As I mentioned, Hubby and Bear usually take on the hottest, most difficult part of the job - the bending and lifting. Ponito usually sits on top of the mound of pumpkins and pushes them down for the big guys to lift (I don't think he's particularly helpful, but he's out of the way and feel useful. Kitty and Bob were outside of the truck in the lines, helping to place pumpkins. Bob had a lot of fun at the end, laying out the tiny "pumpkin" gourds in patterns on the ground. They had "pumpkin" angels, fish, etc. I always get in the truck and work in the lines, because I can't be outside for long without getting a horrible sunburn - the curse of fair skin, but also one of the biggest reasons I don't have wrinkles yet - I stayed out of the sun.

The pumpkins are all sizes, probably up to 40lbs! Maybe more. Those suckers get huge! Last year I was in pretty good shape. I was used to hauling 8 year old Ponito around. This year he's almost too big to pick up so I am super sore!!

Hope you enjoy the pictures of my littles in the pumpkins. We're really bad about taking pictures nowadays. So these are ancient.

I'm going to go rest my poor arms!

Mary