Fall has arrived in Florida! The highs are now only in the 80s. I know many of you have lived elsewhere and remember what a “real” fall feels like, but I haven’t, so I’ll take what I can get!
One thing we look forward to each October is the annual St. Joseph’s pumpkin patch and carnival. We plop the kids amidst the pumpkins and try to get some good shots, then ride the rides and eat some funnel cake. This year the carnival will run October 16 – 19. The pumpkin patch usually lasts until Halloween. St. Joseph’s Catholic Church is located on Alafaya just south of 50.
For me, October also means candy corn. Even though it’s available year round, I limit my candy corn consumption to the month of October only, to make it more of a treat.
Another fall trad
ition we’re establishing is a trip to Green Meadows Petting Farm. It’s a bit pricey for what it is, but there’s an Entertainment Book coupon that makes it more reasonable, and a coupon on their site that reduces the price $2 a ticket. In addition to the animals, there’s a pony ride, train ride, and hay ride. You can also milk a cow! You get a free pumpkin from their pumpkin patch if you go in October. My tip is to go during a weekday when there aren’t as many people there.
And last, fall means pumpkins (click for good recipes) – pumpkin desserts, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin shakes, roasted pumpkin seeds, and carving pumpkins. Over the past few years, we’ve experimented with v
carious pumpkin-carving strategies. The first year we decided to carve pumpkins, I got a little ambitious and decided to do a pumpkin for each member of our family – a big one for Matt, and medium one for me, and a littler one for Evie. But, needless to say, that was a lot of cleaning and carving! I might need to put that tradition on the shelf until the kids are old enough to clean and carve their own, and then perhaps we can have a contest! Do you have any pumpkin-carving traditions or strategies?
What activities do you and your family enjoy at home and around town during fall? I’d love to hear!
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October 15th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
I really want to milk a cow!