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Fall is an enchanting time—leaves put on their festival colors, each morning is a mystery (will there be sunshine or snow, will clouds roil in the sky or settle like warm sleepy blankets on the mountains?) the moon grows in the night sky, and fields are filled with pumpkins like orange gumballs tossed from the top of a giant beanstalk. Growing things and children belong together.
If you are in Utah County, take your children to Pumpkin Land.
I didn’t know about this treasure until my son married the wonderful girl that now manages the Vineyard Garden Center, which her grandpa owns.
This year, while she finished her lunch,
I wandered by myself
past the long fence of gourds.
She caught up to me at the tomato tunnel
where I was filling my pocket with tiny golden treats.
After circumventing the corn maze
and admiring the fabulously shaped pumpkins
still growing on vines (for children to see where they come from),
she took me to see the animals—my favorite part.
They have adorable bunnies and goats,
roosters,
a beautiful, friendly calf,
baby pigs,
peacocks,
and a few other surprises. There are also large inflatables when the weather is good where children can play and plywood cut-outs for silly pictures. At the end is a barn decked out with lights and inflatables with a Grinch (who tried to stop Halloween) theme and an eye-spy challenge for little ones.
Pumpkin land is also a great place to get, well pumpkins!
But my favorite this year is my swan pumpkin.
BTW, I gathered leaves in August and dipped them in wax.
I also mod-podged old drinking glasses with burlap.
I love this time of year!