Pumpkins and Prize Roosters.

I don’t remember visiting Pumpkin Patches as a kid in Wisconsin, but it seems these days people all over the country are taking their kids to visit farms to pick out the perfect pumpkin for carving. Last October, as amateur pumpkin patchers, we visited a parking lot that had been filled with hay, pumpkins and bounce houses. This year, as experienced patchers, we knew that we wanted to experience a real patch so we visited a small family farm in Petaluma.

Peterson’s Farm delivered on our “authentic patch” requirement with their charming signage, rusted wagons, a stuffed prize rooster and a giant field filled with pumpkins of all varieties.

Here’s the prize rooster that has been preserved and stored inside the barn with all of his ribbons. (It was sort of dark inside the barn, so I didn’t notice the felt wattles and comb until I looked closely at this picture, how funny.)

The little guy enjoyed exploring the patch, picking out his pumpkins, feeding the chickens and checking out the cows and horses at a (self-imposed) safe distance.

Now, back to work. Lots of people waiting for paintings!