Pumpkin Patch & Cornell Plantations

Last Monday we went on a field trip to the farm for a hayride and a pumpkin from the patch. On the way to our homeschool co-op in the afternoon, we decided to stop by the Cornell Plantations because we had extra time after eating our lunch. We had such a great time, the kids wanted to stop on the way home after co-op as well. Here's a picture tour of our fun day.

The patch...a view from the hay wagon on our way by. Remember- you are never too old for a hayride!

R11 found some pumpkin blossoms in the patch and politely asked the farmer if she could pick it for her flower pressing class that afternoon. She was allowed to pick it and it is pressing very nicely.

The visitor's center was closed on Columbus Day...or maybe they are always closed on Mondays?

I made sure to point out any laurel to J6 who encountered some mountain laurel while rowing Down, Down the Mountain (yup...there's a post coming eventually!)

OK Handbook of Nature Study fans...who do you think Comstock Knoll is named after? The author of our beloved nature study text was the first female faculty member at Cornell.

Thought some folks were enjoying a contemplative atmosphere, my kids were trotting through the gardens- taking it all in, of course.

Some areas had these information bearing books nearby where you could learn about the flowers and their cultural references.

Every garden needs a sundial! What time did I snap this photo?

I reminded R11, just in case. No flower picking for pressing here!

On the way home we visited the arboretum portion of the plantations- my personal favorite.

We witnessed a lot of goose on duck bullying and the kids really enjoyed just staying put and watching for a long while. That was cool. The day was gorgeous- 70 and sunny. Just lovely.

Ah autumn...easily my favorite season of the year. Especially on a day like this one.

We kept hearing a bell being rung in the distance and we couldn't figure out its origin until we toured the rest of the arboretum in the van. We found the bell. And let me say that just after this picture was taken I nearly went deaf. I9 hit it as hard as he could and none of us were prepared for the result! The hammer reminded me of the one in The Magician's Nephew.

A view from the top

I don't know what's taken me so long to visit the plantations, but we will make a regular visit routine for sure. I've heard it is really nice to go weekly in the spring to see everything coming out. I will look forward to that!

Autumn in NY is well underway and we are past the leaf color peak at this point. It's starting to look a lot like November and before long the snow will begin to fly! Last year our first snow was on Halloween. That is a little more than a week away.

In the meantime, we'll choose some seasonal art projects to do and share them when they are finished. Since this was a spontaneous trip that day, we weren't prepared entirely for sketching. So, stay tuned!