Pumpkin Season

MY GIRLFRIEND AND I WERE DELIGHTED to come upon a farm in Leelanau County (Collins, est. 1877) halfway from Traverse City to Suttons Bay along Highway 633. It featured rows of newly harvested pumpkins in the front yard.

Such a nice surprise!

The setting reminded me of being a kid again. That feeling settled nicely with both of us as we dashed from the car with an energized step, in awe of the adventure we were on during this sunny but cool Sunday afternoon.

We meandered through the rows of pumpkins and gourds. They came in so many shapes and sizes, and deciding which gems to select for our own offered a bit of a challenge.

How fun was that.

I spent more time than usual choosing 5 pumpkins from the $ 4 row. My girlfriend seemed drawn to the wart-covered, oval-shaped pumpkins that you increasingly see grown in our region. Personally, I am a traditionalist, opting for the smooth, fleshy orange globes shown in the photo above.

If only they had served apple cider and fresh donuts flavored with a light touch of cinnamon, as they did at the Franklin Cider Mill during my youth.

Thank you for planting a pumpkin patch on your farm in one of our favorite counties.

It is such a wonderful time of the year.