10.10.2002

I have started to take the borrowed digital camera everywhere I go. I find I enjoy very much taking pictures of unsuspecting people in strange situations. May I present to you the first of a long series of photblog entries that will either amuse you or bore you to tears, depending on my mood. These entries will continue until the owner of the camera realizes I'm abusing the privalge and takes it away from me while slapping me with the carry case upside my head. Do pray it be a long while off, becase I'm having quite alot fun. Oh, it's long too...I apologize.

Yesterday, after I had been pestered and pestered by our preschool kids, I gave in and set about 'Painting' them. During this ritual which involves alot of me repeating the same phrase (You've got to sit still) over and over, I had an idea. We had been talking about a field trip for the last couple of days, and since we only had a couple of kids (two, in fact), I figured why not do it today?


So, after I had finished painting them up I suggested my suggestion to the all powerful Boss-Lady. (She's only the Boss-Lady on odd days, so she of course played the part in full.)


So once we were all in agreement, and the kiddies were strapped into the car, Robin, Elaine and I drove our little bra..umpkins..to Martha's Pumpkin Patch.


Martha's is a localy owned farm that sells seasonal produce and what not throught the year. During Christmas time you can get trees, and during Halloween you can get pumpkins. Lots and Lots of pretty round orange pumpkies. I love pumpkins, at least for the first week or so, until they turn white and squishy and you have to scrape them up with a shovel and throw them away. But, before that, I love pumpkins.


So, we pulled into Martha's, got the excited kiddies out of the car, and thanks to a suggestion from Martha herself (Should I have asked for an autograph?) we piled the bouncing girls into a wagon and prepared to treck out into the pumpkin feilds. That's right, no pre-picked carton sitting pumpkins for us, we were going to capture ourselves pumpkins in their native habitat. Once we were settled with our caravan, we were on our way.



At first our party was cautious, as our trail leader Robin scouted ahead, Elaine faithfully followed. We were confident that we would not be attacked by savages in this wild land, although we allowed ourselves one look back to civilization.


As we continued into the vast wilderness of pumpkins, we came upon a few that we thought might be decent enough sorts to carry back home with us. As Robin made herself more familiar with the natives, she decided that they no longer wished to be left upon their sides and tops, so she took it upon herself to upright every pumpkin she came across so that they were sitting on their bottoms. The pumpkins she helped were most pleased, seeing as how they have no arms or feet to right themselves alone.


While Robin played nursemaid to the pumpkins, our travilers in the wagon ventured further into this uncharted land. At last the glad cry was sounded, a pumpkin decent enough for our travilers was found! The gladness of this event was lost quickly however, when we realized we were approching a dense and somewhat unsettling Pumpkin Patch Corn Forest. The outside of the forest was marked with strange signs, that we feared were strewn with warnings of this place. What were those other more colorful items? Perhaps some odd torture device? A Pumpkin Stock forged to hold the heads of tresspassers? Carefully we grew closer.


As we stopped just a few yards away from the strage stock-like device, one of our bravest travilers lept from her seat in the coach and sped toward the device, hedless to our cries of warning! Just then our caravan was attacked by a hoard of savage pumpkins, taking our youngest traviler Mackinzie hostage!


What could we do? I ran to find Robin were we had last seen her, but she was nowhere to be found, and when I returned I saw why. Somehow during her travels to help the pumpkins, she was captured as well. Now all my companions were caught, and had been locked into the strange torture device and guarded by pumpkin soilders. What was I to do?


Thinking quickly I grabbed the nearest pumpkin guard by suprise and threw him to the ground, each pumpkin guard I managed to thwart after a long and hard battle. I am ashamed to say many a pumpkins died that day, but it was for my friends life that I comitted pumpkinside, and as I freed them, they survayed my handywork.


After a long talk, we decided we couldn't risk going back the way we came, so we fled the only way that was left. Into the forest. The forest was dark and smelled faintly of mud, as we marched down the path we fought our way through the sharp and stinging branches of the tree-husks, and eventually found outselves in a clearing. We stood dumbfounded as we faced a most unusual person, there before us stood the Witch of the East in all the Witches glory! Tentivly we approched the witch for help, hoping this move was wise.


The Witch told us that to escape the forest, we must visit each witch and as their permission. Brushing us off with a disinterested hand, the witch bid us to carry on, for we were spoiling it's relaxing footbath. With that, we left the East Witch behind, and continued on our way. Soon, we came upon the South Witch, and while she dried her hair we asked her permission to leave the forest.


Sure, she said, no problem.


Well, so far so good. As we continued we eventually came across the West Witch. She was terrifying! She divebombed us on her broom while trying to kick us with her shoes and cackled all the while! We fled as fast as we could and ended up smack in the lair of the Witch of the North.


Despite our initial fear, we found Ms. North to be quite a lovely hostess. After offering us tea, she kindly showed us the way out of the forest, and told us that we had her permission to pick any pumpkin we wish on our journey back to Martha's. She even posed for a picture with our troupe.


We bid Ms. North farewell and continued on our journey. The day was growing quite late and we found that it was time to pick our final pumpkins and make our way home.


At last we had what we came for! With our travilers and our pumpkins safely stowed in our coach, we returned to Martha's.


Returned to the real world, paid for the pumpkins, stuck them in thecar, and headed home.


We also went to the store and carved the pumpkins, but I'll save that story for later.

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