The Bohemian Valhalla Clan LOVE Pumpkin & Harvest Festivals... and they abound throughout the Valley this time of the year and our Weather is Glorious to attend them.
So this Saturday we were off to the one at the Desert Botanical Gardens... the G-Kid Force in their full Halloween Regalia... as were most Children, and some Adults, attending the Festival... and its so much Fun to see everyone's Costumes and getting into the Spirit of the Season.
Now the Pumpkin Patch had acres of Pumpkins in every size and shape imaginable and every Child who attended received a Free one, so the G-Kid Force were eager & giddy to pick out their first real Pumpkins of the Season.
Now... MOST Children at the Pumpkin Festival were picking out small to modest sized Pumpkins since there would be carrying, long lines waiting for the Hayride back to the Festival Area and the inconvenience of going Big.
But you know the Bohemian Valhalla Clan... we don't do anything small or modestly *LOL*... it's go Big or go Home for us!!! No Modest or Small Pumpkins would do... no matter how Cute or Perfectly formed...
And apparently they had a very Grandoise Vision of the Pumpkins they'd be Decorating with *Smiles*... and so they each picked out the largest ones we could pick up and carry back! *Le Sigh... No, there was no talking them out of it.* Prince R was all Pre~Teen Man~Muscle Developing Buff enough to tote his... picking it out expediently since just the one was Calling to him... and be Chivalrous enough to help a few Ladies with their larger Pumpkin choices as well... so that wasn't so bad.
But remember the one on the G-Kid Force who is Healing from a Broken Elbow and Arm and who has an equally Grandoise Vision of going Big? *Winks* But who has a Track Record of being terribly Indecisive {just like her Mommy}... and so we spent nearly an Eternity wandering around scrutinizing every HUGE Pumpkin... because 'The One' would have to not only be gargantuan... but also be PERFECT... without so much as a perceived blemish or stem defect!
Yeah... that G-Kid... the one who would need a Gramma Pumpkin Toting Pack Mule to tote around her Great Pumpkin! *Groan*
Now to be sure she had a Big Time flitting around the Pumpkin Patch scrutinizing every enormous Pumpkin she spied out there and weighing the merits and shortcomings of each... and lining Pumpkins up in various sizes so the Pumpkin Patch would look more Orderly... remember, we're talking about the OCD and Organizing Child here... *Smiles*
And this weighty Specimen ended up being 'The One'...
So... off to the Decorating Table it went, to join her Brother and his Massive Pumpkin that he was already hard at work on...
Creating Pipe Cleaner Spiders and the like to Grace his Pumpkin with...
In fact there were a slew of Young Artisans hard at work at the Tables and the Creativity was abounding and so much Fun to see the Fresh Ideas and Pumpkin Transformations taking place.
And the Transformation Process went on and on... and on and on... for a VERY long time... as other Kids came and went from our Table and Garden Volunteers marveled at, "Are they STILL at it?!"
Yes, yes they are... you can't put a Time Limit or Deadline on Creativity or it is stifled... as an Artist I can attest to that... and so I gave them ample Time to Create their Masterpieces.
While Gramma amused myself doing other things... such as Photographing Inspirational Images of Organic Gardens that I might replicate at Home someday... Hey, it COULD HAPPEN!!! Them G-Kids aren't the only ones with Grandoise Visions and Plans! *Winks*
And though the Hayride TO the Pumpkin Patch had been light and convenient...
The ride back was filled with sweaty Pumpkin Toting, Happy but Exhausted peeps...
Well... except for MY G-Kids, they were still good for another 10,000 Miles or so now that they were pumped up on Pumpkin Pickin' Adrenalin Rushes! *Winks*
Even the Desert Heat and long waits had not sufficiently drained them of Energy or Enthusiasm...
So while most folks Kiddies were Fading Fast or had Fallen Asleep on the Ride back... I knew there would have to be many more Activities to get to that place with the G-Kid Force... so I still hadda Hang Tough and put my Game Face on. But at least our Tractors didn't run out of gas... one Lady told me her Tale of when theirs did on the way up to the Pumpkin Patch! She had a bunch of Kids in tow & I asked her how long they waited and she wryly said, "Well, only 10 Minutes... {then adding Dramatically with rolling of eyes in Comical Fashion}... in the Desert... with no Water..." *LOL... I can only Imagine the Whinefest her Kids put her thru during the Eternal 10 Minutes from Hell!?! Smiles*
Luckily I had brought the Stroller for the Pumpkin Twins to be nestled in when we got back to the Festival Area so that I didn't have to attempt to schlep them around whilst the G-Kid Force did all the other Fun Activities. *Whew!*
Such as the Hay Maze...
Which is no Challenge at all for the Young Prince, with his uber Logical Mathematical Mind, he was whizzing through it at Lightening Speed and a Chartered Path in his Head to the end... totally unobstructed by Detours and False Paths as others wandered around aimlessly around him... with his Lil Sis trailing behind... and Gramma trailing even much further behind yelling, "Wait for me!" ... because I could never find my way out of such places so easily and effortlessly! *LOL*
That Kid could find his way out of a Children Of The Corn Type Maze... and he wants the Challenge of the Massive Corn Mazes that dot the Agricultural Landscape around our Home during this Season... but I'm not so sure I wanna risk getting Lost amid a Massive Real Rows Of Corn Maze with my G-Children Of The Corn!?! *LOL... they could have an Ulterior Motive, these Addams Family Type Kids... ya never know?!? I'm not taking any chances!!! Smiles*
Sure... they LOOK harmless... well, sort of... *Smiles* But Looks can be Deceiving my Friends!
Especially this one... Sweet Looking Wednesday Addams Type G-Child of mine, the Beast Princess! *Smiles*
And that one... whose expression looked like he was taking a dump on the Hay Bale... *LMAO*
What's with that pained expression anyway, aren't we having Fun?!? Do you have to go to the Bathroom? *LOL* No? Apparently this is his "The Sun is in my Eyes" expression... Okay, Whatever...
Let us move on to the Live Music.
And Festival Games where you both can Win a bunch of worthless crap Priceless Wee Treasures that you will incessantly Fight over and promptly lose somewhere on the Persian Carpets at Home...
Now Invisible to the naked Senior Eye so that they will ultimately be Discovered again as aging bare feet step upon them and risk falling and breaking a hip...
Yep, THOSE Wee Treasures we Live for! *Le Sigh* And the Young Prince especially is like a Jedi Master at Winning abundantly!
And the Wee Princess is so darn Cute, Endearing and Charming when it suits her to get what she wants, that they always give her a Prize whether she actually Wins or not! *Smiles* And in this Festival there were no Losers and so every Child was a Winner and that Feels good!
And they do have so much Fun Winning them don't they... and the Excitement is akin to me seeking out Found Treasures whilst Junquing & cluttering up the House with too, so Okay, I will concede in this area. *Winks* So, needless to say I came Home with a Purse full of Plastic Snakes, Sponge Pumpkins, Rubber Ducks in Halloween Garb, Stickers that will end up stuck EVERYWHERE and on EVERYTHING, faux Tattoos which will end up on Everyone and maybe even Yul too if the Princess can figure out how to make them adhere to Cat Fur since Yul is Game for any Activity they include him in... *Winks*
So Beware Sweet Yul!!!
And the Bohemian Cat Boys, Rusty & Morris, too!!!
Though Yul is a more likely Willing Victim to being Faux Tattooed since he'd be a Happy Participant to any G-Kid Attention inclusive of him...
These two not so much... Old Morris {in Bed} is likely to only receive a Tattoo while he slumbers or can't get out of the way fast enough... and Rusty {under French Bistro Chair}, well, he barely tolerates Children or un-necessary handling so its very unlikely he'll be on the Cover of "Inked" anytime soon sporting his Faux Tats! *Winks*
But they're coming... so be afraid... be very afraid!!! *Winks*
Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian