The subject for the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge this week was set for us by Patti, and she is looking for some fun. Whenever I am looking for a little fun, I head over to my eldest daughter’s house. For many years I hosted every kind of family celebration imaginable but now she has taken over the task and is doing a first-rate job. Last year she initiated a new celebration, the family fall festival, and we had a lot of fun, so this year we looked forward to the date with eager anticipation.
The day started out well. The sun was shining and we were able to enjoy all the outdoor decorations which were primarily geared towards the forthcoming Halloween festivities.
Someone was on hand to do a bit of face painting while the grown-ups prepared the food. Luckily we didn’t need to use the grill as it seemed to be haunted, and I got a fright when someone tapped on the window by the kitchen sink and I look out to see who was there.
Then it was time for all of us to head over to Kregel’s Pumpkin Farm. We had a great time there last year and this looked to be just as much fun, with some family members trying out a new rolling activity while others had a go at the giant slide. By this time, the dark clouds were starting to drift in but we were fairly confident that we’d stay dry as there seemed to be no rain in the forecast.
It was then that things took a turn for the not-so-good. We had hopped on the hay wagon for a ride out to the pumpkin patch and had just made our selections as we stood about discussing the merits of various types of squash when it started to snow. And not just snow. The wind picked up and howled across the field! And there was a blizzard but not gently falling snowflakes. These felt more like shards of glass pummeling us. We all piled back on the hay wagon and the driver set off. I don’t have any shots of these events as by this time I had bundled my camera underneath a rather inadequate jacket, so you’ll just have to picture the scene for yourselves. The wind had reached such a velocity that I thought the wagon was in danger of tipping over and the cold was almost unbearable (many of us were just not suitably dressed for this wintry onslaught.) It’s a strange thing but as horrific as that slow ride back to the farm was, we were all laughing! Even in the worst conditions we were a family, together, out to have some fun and by gosh, we were determined to make the best of it!
By the time we got home, the blizzard had stopped (naturally) and we settled down to enjoy the rest of the day. Unfortunately the camera wasn’t functioning too well after being caught in the storm so I abandoned the picture-taking for other fun pursuits. For more on the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge go to Just For Fun
